Texas and Louisiana are facing a dangerous combination of stormy weather and extreme temperatures as Tropical Storm Bertha sweeps across the Gulf Coast during a heat wave.

Bertha is expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge and as much as 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain, while temperatures climb well above 100F (38C). Added humidity from the storm will push heat index values as high as 112F in parts of the region, according to the National Weather Service.

The heat is also expected to strain Texas’s power grid as electricity demand climbs alongside the state’s booming data-center industry. Demand is forecast to reach a record 88 gigawatts Tuesday afternoon, surpassing the previous high of 85.508 gigawatts set in August 2023, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Still, with roughly 120 gigawatts of available generation capacity, the grid isn’t expected to face immediate shortages.

Bertha was about 175 miles (280 kilometers) southeast of Mobile, Alabama, with top wind speeds of 50 miles per hour at 7 a.m. local time, according to an advisory from the National Hurricane Center. It’s slowly heading west to drench the Gulf Coast with rain this week, and watches and warnings stretch from Florida to Louisiana. A dangerous storm surge of as much as 4 feet may hit the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Heat advisories are in place across Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, with officials warning of “dangerously hot conditions,” and urging people to stay out of the sun and avoid strenuous activities.

That may be an issue for people working to prepare ahead of the storm’s arrival, said Megan Williams, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Slidell, Louisiana.

“People always underestimate the heat,” she said. “It can really sneak up on you.”

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics Catastrophe Texas Natural Disasters Windstorm