Metro Atlantans who simmered Friday will jump from the frying pan into the skillet Saturday with both temperatures and air quality at potentially dangerous levels.
Temperatures once again will reach above 100, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Glenn Burns, who expects record highs over most of north Georgia on Saturday. The temperature in Atlanta was around 103 at 5 p.m. on Friday, the hottest it's been since August 2007.
There is also the potential for another Code Red smog alert, the worst air metro Atlantans have had to breathe since July 2010.
Both conditions, the heat and smog, could present health challenges to people with asthma and other respiratory ailments, heart and lung disease, seniors, children and people who are sensitive to ozone, according to state health officials. Several cooling centers will open Saturday to help seniors escape the conditions.
A break from the high temps, however, may be on the way, according to Burns.
"On Sunday, we're going to see a good chance of afternoon showers and storms, which will last through most of next week, as the massive high pressure moves back out West," Burns said Friday. "So tomorrow [Saturday] we will see triple-digit heat, possibly near 100 Sunday, and then back to the low to mid 90s from Monday on." Nighttime lows will be in the mid to upper 70s.
While the Clean Air Campaign issued a Code Red smog alert for Saturday, it won't be known until Sunday whether air quality reached that level, according to spokesman Brian Carr. The organization bases its alerts on data from the Environmental Protection Agency. On Thursday, metro Atlanta experienced its first Code Red smog alert since July 7, 2010. It won't be known until later Saturday whether metro Atlanta also reached the dangerous status on Friday.
"As long as the weather continues to stay hot, there is potential that we could experience more unhealthy air quality days," Carr said. Ground-level ozone during warmer months presents the biggest challenge for Georgians when it comes to air quality. The highest concentration of ozone is between 2 and 7 p.m.
The Clean Air Campaign said half of all smog-forming emissions come from vehicles, and with gas prices falling, more vehicles are expected to be on the road, especially with summer vacations in full swing.
"We ask people to look at alternatives to driving alone as an immediate way to reduce air pollution," Carr said.
With 100-degree temperatures, health officials and the National Weather Service advise north Georgians to take precautions, which include drinking plenty of water, wearing light clothing, limiting outdoor activities and strenuous work, and not leaving children or pets in closed vehicles, where temperatures can skyrocket within a short period.
Cooling centers opening
Fulton County's Office of Aging is opening cooling centers for a second day Saturday for seniors who need a break from the heat. The centers will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and are available to residents who do not have air conditioning.
The centers include the Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multipurpose Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive in Sandy Springs; the H.J.C. Bowden Senior Multipurpose Center, 2885 Church Street in East Point; the Harriett G. Darnell Senior Multipurpose Center, 677 Fairburn Road NW; and the Helene S. Mills Senior Multipurpose Center, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave., SE.
The Salvation Army will have two cooling centers open Saturday. The centers are located at 3500 Sherrydale Lane in Decatur and 3455 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. The organization will also be distributing 500 free electric fans at those locations, as well as at the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center at 967 Dewey St. SW in Atlanta.
Staff writer Mike Morris and photographer John Spink contributed to this article.
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