Possible Storms, Scorching Temps Among Multiple GA Weather Concerns

GEORGIA — Weather officials are warning Georgians of scorching temperatures Wednesday, saying areas in some parts of the state may rise to the upper 90s to low 100s.

Furthermore, the current air quality could be threatening to some people while storms could sweep across portions of north Georgia Wednesday night. High fire danger conditions could also be concerning for parts of Georgia.

Heating Up

Parts of southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina are under a heat advisory until 7 p.m. Wednesday as heat index values around 110 are anticipated, according to the forecast.

The advisory covers multiple coastal counties including Chatham and Bryan.

"Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses," weather officials said in the advisory.

Residents are asked to wear light clothing, take breaks when outdoors and take action when recognizing symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat strokes.

Shortly after noon Wednesday, the temperature in metro Atlanta was 98 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

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Wednesday is expected to be the hottest day this week and foreshadows the forthcoming "extreme heat" possible through next Tuesday, according to the forecast. Heat index values could reach around or above 100 each afternoon.

Heat indices are expected to reach their peak Friday-Sunday and could climb to more than 105 in central and north Georgia daily.

Additionally, residents are cautioned against high fire danger conditions Wednesday afternoon into the evening for parts of north and central Georgia due to low relative humidity levels, according to the forecast.

This includes Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Paulding, Hall and Douglas counties.

Weather officials say relative humidity levels of 25 percent or less could last for at least four hours, while southwest winds could travel at 5-10 mph.

"With dry fuels, high fire danger conditions can be expected. Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities whether you may burn outdoors. If you do burn outside, use extreme caution," officials said in a special weather statement.

Code Orange

This comes when a code orange air quality alert, issued by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Protection Division, says ozone concentrations could be at their highest in the late afternoon or early evening.

Orange denotes an air quality index of between 101-150 while an index of above 150 is considered code red, with health effects spreading to members of the general public.

Air quality alerts are triggered by a number of factors, including the detection of fine-particle pollution — known as “PM 2.5” — which can irritate the lungs.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, the air quality was moderate.

People considered to be in sensitive groups are those with lung disease such as asthma, children and teens, older adults and people who are routinely active outdoors for six or more hours a day, according to the national government-operated monitoring platform AirNow.

Brewing Storms

To compound on concerns for Georgia, weather officials say isolated to scattered thunderstorms could arrive Wednesday night in the north and central region.

Then, daily scattered thunderstorms could pour from Thursday-Tuesday, according to the forecast. Possible hazards include lightning, heavy rain and gusty winds.

With daily storms predicted for the Savannah area, a moderate risk for rip currents exist Wednesday through nightfall.

The weather service asked people to monitor its website or their weather radio for more information.