WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Atlanta remains hot as stalled vehicles back up I-285

ATLANTA FORECAST

Monday: High: 89

Monday night: Low: 71

Tuesday: High: 90

Like the temperature outside, traffic is heating up in metro Atlanta.

Temps reached 91 degrees today, which was two degrees warmer than predicted, and Macon experienced a record 98-degree peak this afternoon, Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said.

So much for the last week of summer.

Traffic has also warmed up, but aside from the Northern Perimeter, congestion remains fairly light for the evening commute.

In Cobb County, all I-285 South lanes at South Cobb Drive were briefly blocked while a stalled vehicle was cleared, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Also, a southbound wreck on I-285 at South Atlanta Road has two left lanes blocked, causing delays, the Traffic Center reported.

A stalled school bus in DeKalb County on I-285 near East Ponce de Leon Avenue is causing heavy southbound delays, according to the Traffic Center.

Roadwork on the Perimeter Outer Loop is also blocking a right lane on I-285 South from South Atlanta Road to South Cobb Drive, the Traffic Center reported.

It will be another couple of days before what’s left of Florence, now a tropical depression, makes its way out of North Carolina, but Georgia should see the last of the system Monday.

The chance of any rain from Florence has dropped to less than 10 percent for North Georgia, according to Channel 2 Action News. As the system continues to turn to the north, some rain bands could dip into the Georgia mountains, but any showers or storms will be off-and-on, Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said.

“It’s really going to get hot this afternoon, unlike (Sunday) when we had the clouds and even some light rain from Florence,” she said. “That’s moved to the north, but some wraparound could be bringing some of those showers into far North Georgia.”

The tropical moisture is sticking around, though. Minton said all of metro Atlanta will feel like the 90s Monday afternoon. It’s currently 89 degrees in Atlanta.

Florence is expected to push farther northeast and away from the East Coast by Wednesday.

“The heaviest of the rain is over North Carolina, where they don’t need any more rain,” Minton said. “But there will be more flooding today ... it’s going to be a long struggle for the Carolinas to recover from this system.”

Some spots have already seen more than 30 inches of rainfall, according to Channel 2.

Metro Atlanta, however, will continue to dry. There is a 20 percent chance of rain or less through Friday. The weekend could see a few stray showers, Minton said.