Summer’s still 3 days away, and heat in Atlanta is here to stay

The official start of summer may not be until Thursday, but it feels like we had an early start to the season.

Temperatures have been above average for the past several days. Typically, we see highs around 87 and 88 degrees for this time of year. Metro Atlanta has seen highs in the 90s since the middle of last week, and Monday will keep up with that trend. Today’s high is expected to top out around 92 degrees in the city.

There’s not much rain on tap to help us cool down, either. Some of us could see a stray shower, but there’s only a 20% chance of that happening.

“Most of us stay dry this afternoon, and dry weather’s gonna be the story through a lot of this week,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “Just not much rain in our forecast.”

Starting Tuesday, there is a 0% chance of showers through Friday. The chance then goes up to just 30% through the weekend, so rain won’t provide much relief from the heat.

“We’re not in a drought or anything like that, but definitely getting into that abnormally dry range around Metro Atlanta,” Monahan said. “In the next few weeks, we’re gonna need to see that rain start to come back.”

In the meantime, the lack of rain is keeping humidity levels relatively low this week, which is keeping the heat impact lower than it could be.

It’s still dangerously hot, though, so be mindful of staying hydrated and taking frequent breaks in the shade if you’re spending any time outdoors.

“Just about anybody could be overcome by the heat very quickly if you’re not good to yourself, you’re not easy on yourself out there in this first round of summertime heat,” Monahan said. “It does not take much out in that heat to be overcome by it.”

Also, make sure you’re checking the back seat of your car for any pets or children who don’t normally ride with you. A car can get dangerously hot within a matter of minutes.