Fifty million people in the United States are ready for a scorching ‘heat dome’ weather event that will bring tropical humidity, temperatures of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and scorching conditions that will break records set in 1925.
The exceptional summer weather will begin on Tuesday and intensify on Wednesday, with temperatures up to 20 degrees hotter than average for this time of year in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Temperatures in Alabama will reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit, Georgia will reach 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and areas of South Carolina will also reach triple digits.
However, hot weather paired with high humidity will make areas of the Interstate 20 corridor in southern states feel as hot as 110 degrees Fahrenheit, even if the temperature is really a few degrees cooler.
This has raised concerns for the elderly and low-income people who may not be able to afford to use air conditioning in order to avoid becoming unwell as a result of the extreme weather.
For certain places, excessive heat advisories are expected to be issued. On Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures in Macon, Georgia, are expected to reach 102°F or 103°F, breaking the previous record of 101°F established in 1995.
Birmingham, Alabama, is expected to reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday and Thursday, just two degrees below all-time highs for the city.
Meanwhile, Atlanta has been warned to expect temperatures of 98 degrees on Tuesday, and 100 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday. Reaching triple digits would shatter heat records set during World War II.
People in Nashville will have no reprieve, with temperatures expected to reach 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday and Wednesday.
If the forecasts hold true, they will be the hottest days in the area since 1988, and only one degree shy of an all-time high.
South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas and inland Louisiana should all see weather that’s at least 100f over three days next week.
And in Dallas, the mercury won’t drop below 81f overnight, meaning Texans will be running their air-con non-stop.
However, hot weather paired with high humidity will make areas of the Interstate 20 corridor in southern states feel as hot as 110 degrees Fahrenheit, even if the temperature is really a few degrees cooler.
This has raised concerns for the elderly and low-income people who may not be able to afford to use air conditioning in order to avoid becoming unwell as a result of the extreme weather.
Excessive heat advisories are likely to be issued for those areas. Macon in Georgia is forecast to hit 102f or 103f degrees on Wednesday and Thursday – smashing the 101f record set in 1995.
Birmingham in Alabama is likely to hit 102f on Wednesday and Thursday, just two degrees off all-time records for the area.
Meanwhile, Atlanta has been advised to brace for 98f weather on Tuesday, and 100f conditions Wednesday and Thursday. Hitting triple figures would break heat records set during the Second World War.
People in Nashville will have no reprieve, with temperatures expected to reach 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday and Wednesday.
If the forecasts hold true, they will be the hottest days in the area since 1988, and only one degree shy of an all-time high.
Over the next three days, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, and inland Louisiana should all experience temperatures of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
And because the temperature in Dallas won’t drop below 81 degrees overnight, Texans will be running their air conditioners nonstop.
Alabama will record temperatures of up to 102f, Georgia is predicted to see 103f weather, and parts of South Carolina will also nudge into triple figures too.
But hot weather combined with extreme humidity mean parts of the Interstate 20 corridor across southern states will feel as hot as 110f, even if the weather is actually a few degrees colder.
That has sparked fears for the elderly and people on low incomes who may not be able to afford to run air conditioning to avoid falling ill in the ferocious weather.
Excessive heat advisories are likely to be issued for those areas. Macon in Georgia is forecast to hit 102f or 103f degrees on Wednesday and Thursday – smashing the 101f record set in 1995.
Birmingham in Alabama is likely to hit 102f on Wednesday and Thursday, just two degrees off all-time records for the area.
Meanwhile, Atlanta has been advised to brace for 98f weather on Tuesday, and 100f conditions Wednesday and Thursday. Hitting triple figures would break heat records set during the Second World War.
And there’ll be little respite for people in Nashville, with the Tennessee city likely to see roasting 101f weather on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
If the forecasts bear out, they’ll be the hottest days since 1988, and sit just one degree off an all-time record for the area.
South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas and inland Louisiana should all see weather that’s at least 100f over three days next week.
And in Dallas, the mercury won’t drop below 81f overnight, meaning Texans will be running their air-con non-stop.
The heat dome is created by atmospheric pressure effectively creating a lid over the country. Radiation is unable to escape, but the sun’s rays can still get through, creating intense heat on land.
It will eventually begin to flatten out from the middle of next week – meaning temperatures will subsequently spread across the areas set to see the hottest weather.
‘High temperatures alone (but more certainly heat indexes) Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday could necessitate Heat Advisories across portions of the area,’ wrote the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, Georgia.
The 100 degree temperatures and Gulf humidity will make for heat indexes potentially nearing 110 degrees.
Hottest in America next Wednesday will be parts of Arizona and southern California, with blistering temperatures of 109f – although those areas are famed for their searing summer weather.
Before next week’s heat dome, the Plains and Montana will both see conditions of up to 100f on Saturday – way above the usual 79f seen at this time of year.
Montana was hit by once in a millennium flooding earlier this week, as the balmy weather caused winter snows to melt far more quickly than usual, after a cooler-than-expected May led to the white stuff hanging around for longer than usual.
The extreme heat is thanks to an upper-level ridge, The Washington Post explained – essentially, a crest in the jet stream.
The ridge pushed high-altitude winds and storminess to the north over Canada and the Great Lakes, with sunshine and high pressure building in to the south.
High pressure areas bring sinking air, which warms up and dries out.
Forecasters say the heat dome is likely to linger for the next week or two.
Heat domes are normal for summer – but experts say they’ve become more intense because of climate change.