First Alert Weather: Mostly dry, breezy, and hot weather Monday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Good morning and happy Monday!

It was a very active Sunday afternoon and evening with rounds of strong and severe storms sweeping through the state. We saw numerous reports of large hail and some wind reports. The good news this morning is that most of the activity is to our south and west. First Alert AccuTrack Satellite and Radar is showing us mostly dry with the stormy weather pushing into the Florida Panhandle. We are also watching another disturbance producing strong and severe storms in southern Arkansas and into west Mississippi. I think most of this energy will remain to our southwest during the morning hours.

It is a very warm and muggy start to the day with temperatures mainly in the lower 70s. It’s slightly cooler to the north where temperatures have cooled into the mid to upper 60s in parts of Marion, Winston, Cullman, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee counties.

High Temperatures Today(WBRC)

I think we’ll end up mostly dry this afternoon with decreasing clouds. We should end up partly cloudy to mostly sunny this afternoon. High temperatures are forecast to heat up into the low to mid 90s. When you factor in the humidity this afternoon, it could feel like it is near 100°F. Slightly drier air will likely filter into Alabama later today thanks to a weak cold front. The weak cold front will help to produce breezy conditions today with westerly winds at 10 to15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.

Mostly Sunny and Hot Tuesday: We’ll likely start tomorrow morning off dry and clear with temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s. We should see plenty of sunshine tomorrow afternoon with high temperatures climbing into the mid 90s. With slightly lower dewpoints, it won’t feel super muggy tomorrow afternoon.

Hourly Forecast Tomorrow(WBRC)

The heat index will likely climb into the upper 90s. If you plan on being outside or hanging out at the pool, please remember to apply sunscreen and to stay hydrated.

Isolated Storms Possible Wednesday: Wednesday will end up similar to Tuesday. We will likely start the morning off in the upper 60s. We are forecasting a partly cloudy sky Wednesday afternoon with highs in the mid 90s. A few models are hinting at a few storms developing on Wednesday afternoon, so I’ve introduced a 20 percent chance for a few storms. The best chance to see a few storms Wednesday will likely occur in west Alabama. If our weather models continue to show the chance for storms, we may end up increasing our rain chance for Wednesday.  The heat index Wednesday could climb into the 100°F to 105°F range.

Next Big Thing: The big story this week is the heat and the humidity building by the end of the week. A ridge of high pressure to the west will slowly build into Alabama by Thursday and Friday. We are forecasting high temperatures approaching 100°F Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It will likely end up hotter in west Alabama vs east Alabama. It will not surprise me if Tuscaloosa, Aliceville, Fayette, and Clanton see high temperatures between 100°F to 105°F.

With increasing humidity, the heat index will likely become dangerous during this time period. We will likely see heat advisories and possibly excessive heat warnings for parts of Central Alabama. The feels-like temperatures could climb into the 105°F to 110°F range. It would not surprise me if we saw heat indices near 115°F in parts of west Alabama on Friday. 

First Alert Feels Like(WBRC)

With extreme heat expected, we highly discourage outdoor activities during the peak heating of the day from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. If you have to work outside, please drink plenty of water and take numerous breaks. I would also walk the pets on grassy surfaces and during the morning hours.

Storm Potential: Long-range models are hinting at northwest flow developing by the end of the week and continuing into next week. It is where storm clusters form to our north-northwest and push to the southeast. If these storms develop, they could cool us down significantly. The European model hints that we could see a few storms Thursday that could prevent us from topping out at 100°F.  If we see storms develop by the end of the week, they will likely become strong and severe with damaging winds and large hail as the primary threats. It’ll be something to watch. 

Scattered Storms Return this Weekend: The upcoming weekend will likely remain very hot, but we could see a higher chance for showers and storms. I’ve increased the rain chance to 30 to 40 percent for Saturday and Sunday. Highs on Saturday will likely climb into the upper 90s. We could see high temperatures a little cooler early next week with temperatures in the low to mid 90s. Storms that develop over the weekend could be strong and severe.

Tropical Update: Tropical Storm Bret dissipated Saturday. Tropical Storm Cindy dissipated last night. The Atlantic finally becomes quiet for now.

There’s a chance that the remnants of Cindy could redevelop by the middle and end of this week as it approaches Bermuda. The low will then likely pull to the north and possibly impact Nova Scotia and Newfoundland by this weekend. Long-range models also hint we may need to watch the Central Atlantic as another tropical wave moves off the coast of Africa. If anything develops, we will let you know. 

Make sure you download the WBRC First Alert Weather app for the latest weather information.

Have a great Monday!

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