While Sept. 1 marked the start of meteorological fall, most of us have yet to feel anything close to fall temperatures. More record heat ahead could leave some areas hoping for relief this weekend.

And for millions, that relief is coming next week as a pattern shift will bring the first real taste of fall temperatures.

More record highs forecast through the weekend

Before the heat relief arrives, we have to get through the weekend.

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A heat dome currently sits across the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley, bringing more brutal heat to the region for the next few days.

Several cities could break daily record highs this weekend.

Much of the Southern Plains and Southeast will have highs in the 90s through the weekend, with cities like Oklahoma City, Dallas, Little Rock and Nashville flirting with triple digits.

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Will there be any relief?

Most of those dealing with the record heat will actually see a shift in temperatures this week as the heat dome will finally break down.

Parts of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois will see highs in the 70s and even some upper 60s for many days in the week ahead. St. Louis could drop to 68 by Tuesday.

Northwestern Oklahoma, northwestern Texas and northern Arkansas will finally dip into the 80s starting on Monday.

By mid-week, that heat relief will arrive in the Tennessee Valley and even the Southeast. Atlanta will drop from the 90s over the weekend to 80 by Wednesday.

And, yes, there's even a smidge of relief for areas of the Deep South from Texas to the lower Mississippi Valley. By later in the week, highs may only reach the upper 80s or low 90s.

Looking a bit farther out, the Southern Plains has the best chance of continued warmer-than-average temperatures from next weekend through the end of the month, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

A brutal September

The first half of September has been the hottest on record for dozens of cities from Colorado and New Mexico to Virginia and North Carolina, as shown in the map below.

Among those are Austin, Dallas, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville.

Many of these cities have been 6 to 12 degrees warmer than normal for the first half of September, with the Central and Southern Plains and Mississippi Valley roasting the most.

(MORE: Meteorological fall vs. fall equinox)