THURSDAY’S WEATHER: More clouds, some rain, but not much relief from the heat

More clouds and a slight chance of rain Thursday could mean some relief from the heat, but only slight.

There’s still plenty of sunshine in Thursday’s forecast, about 12 hours of it, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. A 20% chance of a shower could tamp down the heat, but Monahan is not expecting much rain.

If you're looking for some cooler temperatures -- we've got you covered next week as rain chances go back up!
— Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) June 23, 2022

Atlanta’s projected high is 97 degrees, two degrees shy of the record set in 1944. Wednesday’s high of 98 tied the record set on June 22, 1964.

“We’ll fall just short of a record high this afternoon in Atlanta,” Monahan said. “Still pretty hot, though, in my book. These temperatures are 10 to 15 degrees above what we usually are here in the mid- to late part of June.”

Gooooood morning!

We tied a record high yesterday at 98 -- we're staying hot this afternoon across north Georgia.

I'm tracking higher rain chances headed toward the weekend -- see you at 4:30am on Channel 2! @wsbtv
— Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) June 23, 2022

Monahan expects temperatures to rise into the 90s by noon, when the Braves take on the San Francisco Giants at Truist Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:20 p.m.

It should be in the mid-90s by the middle innings, and it will still be hot after the game with temperatures near 100 degrees, according to Monahan. Those sitting in direct sun will especially feel the heat, as the surface temperature on the ballpark’s plastic seats can reach up to 200 degrees on a day like today.

“What would help is some rain and cloud cover, and we get a slight bit of help today and tomorrow,” Monahan said. “Just a slight chance of a shower, a 20% rain chance for today and tomorrow. It will be Saturday that we will actually see those rain chances start to increase.”

On Saturday, showers and storms are 40% likely for the afternoon. It won’t be quite as warm, either, with a projected high of 92 degrees, according to the latest forecast.

Still hot, but less hot, Monahan said.

“There will be more storms around this weekend, maybe up to half an inch of rain across parts of North Georgia as we go through Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “No washouts, but a bit more rain, and that adds up to cooler temperatures.”