THURSDAY’S WEATHER: Code Orange alert issued for hottest day so far this year

Atlanta stopped just short of 90 degrees on Wednesday, but there’s a good chance temperatures will exceed that benchmark Thursday for what should be the hottest day so far this year.

Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan is calling for a high of 93 degrees Thursday, which is just three degrees shy of the record high set on this date in 1938. Temperatures will climb even higher in some areas of North Georgia, threatening records with highs near 100 degrees, according to Monahan.

“It’s going to be hot today,” he said. “We’re going to be up in the 90s, and there’s a little chance of storms today. Now, most of us are going to stay dry. We’re talking 20% or less for this storm chance today.”

With high heat and humidity, any storms that develop Thursday have the chance of turning severe. The National Weather Service considers the severe risk to be a low-end Level 1 for parts of the North Georgia mountains and areas east of Atlanta near Athens. Monahan is expecting metro Atlanta to stay pretty dry Thursday afternoon, with just some extra clouds in the sky.

For the severe-warned area, damaging wind gusts and hail are possible, he said.

Rain and storm chances are low for the most part today, but what does develop could become locally strong or severe.

Tracking now on Channel 2. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/EEVS1o0izj
— Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) May 19, 2022

The jump in humidity Thursday will make that 93-degree high in Atlanta feel even hotter, Monahan said. The city is off to a warm start with temperatures running in the low 70s Thursday morning, about 15 degrees higher than this time yesterday.

For the first time this year, the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has issued a Code Orange air quality alert for Atlanta.

“Under Code Orange conditions, the outdoor air quality is likely to be unhealthy for some people,” the agency said in the alert. “Children, people who are sensitive to ozone, and people with heart or lung disease should limit prolonged outdoor exertion during the late afternoon or early evening when ozone concentrations are highest.”

A Code Orange smog alert means air quality conditions are unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Monahan expects humidity to build heading into the weekend, which will also bring metro Atlanta’s next chance of widespread rain. Thunderstorms are 30% likely Saturday and will be scattered, but more numerous storms are in Sunday’s forecast with an 80% chance of development, according to Channel 2.

The rain should stick around into early next week.

“The humidity has jumped, and it’s going to keep jumping into the weekend,” Monahan said. “Really uncomfortable, I think, really sticky by Saturday and Sunday and Monday.”