First Alert Weather: Dangerous heat possible later this week

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The First Alert Weather team is declaring Thursday and Friday a First Alert Weather Day for excessive heat warnings. Stay safe, hydrated, and weather alert.

First Alert AccuTrack shows us quiet and dry across Central Alabama tonight with a clear sky. Slightly drier air will continue to filter in this evening thanks to a weak cold front moving across the state. The weak cold front will help to keep a breeze around overnight with westerly winds at 5-10 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. 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 and lower 70s. We are forecasting a partly cloudy sky Wednesday afternoon with highs in the mid 90s. A few models are hinting at a few storms moving in from the northwest on Wednesday afternoon, so we have introduced a 30% 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-105°F range.

Next Big Thing: The big story this week is the heat and the humidity building by the end of the week. We have declared First Alert Weather Days for Thursday and Friday due to the dangerous heat risk. 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-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-110°F range. It would not surprise me if we saw heat indices near 115°F in parts of west Alabama on Friday. With extreme heat expected, we highly discourage outdoor activities during the peak heating of the day from 11 a.m. - 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 when you take them outside.

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. 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. The upcoming weekend will likely remain very hot, but we could see a higher chance for showers and storms. For now, we have a 20-30% chance for storms Wednesday through Friday, but up to 40-50% 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 to 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.

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