Dozens of cities are expected to meet or surpass record high temperatures for this time of year as part of a heat wave that will hit huge swaths of the country.

Austin's oppressive summer heat is back. The earlier-than-usual wave of triple-digit temperatures prompted the city to open up cooling centers this week.

Heat advisories and extreme heat warnings are in effect west of Houston this week as an unusually early heat wave takes hold. What do these heat alerts mean?

KXAN's Jala Washington spoke with Austin FC president Andy Loughnane about what the club is doing to help keep fans comfortable for Wednesday's game in an unseasonable early heat wave. Read more:

As the Earth warms, Austin has been experiencing hotter temperatures earlier in the year. A heat wave this week could break the record for hottest day recorded in the month of May.

The scorching heat descending upon the Lone Star State will be so extreme that thermometers are forecast to climb higher than the sun-baked sands of all the U.S. deserts, with high temperatures possibly reaching close to 115 degrees along the Rio Grande.

Electricity demand is expected to set an all-time May record this week, according to forecasts from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

Temperatures of up to 110 degrees are triggering a heat advisory in Austin, San Antonio, Eagle Pass and Dell Rio starting on Tuesday, May 13.