While some people like the weather outside to be red-hot, seeing red on the interstates is never a good thing. On Thursday afternoon, Atlanta has both.
Traffic is struggling with early Memorial Day weekend travelers and several wrecks, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
All I-85 South lanes near Ga. 138 in south Fulton County are blocked by a rollover crash, according to the Traffic Center. It’s recommended to use Ga. 29 as an alternate.
A wrecked tractor-trailer has been cleared from the Perimeter’s outer loop past Jonesboro Road after blocking two right lanes, but heavy delays linger, the Traffic Center reported.
However, just as that wreck cleared, another crash nearby blocked a left lane, preventing the interstate from recovering, according to the Traffic Center.
I-20 drivers in Cobb County are still enduring delays from a crash that blocked two left eastbound lanes of the interstate at Six Flags Parkway, according to the Traffic Center. One lane remains blocked.
A gas main break downtown also caused problems earlier when the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building was evacuated, Atlanta police said. Several nearby surface streets that were blocked have since reopened.
MORE: Gas main break capped near MLK Jr. Federal Building
At 5:30 p.m., temperatures still hover in the upper 80s, just short of breaking the 90-degree barrier.
“Temperatures are running well above average,” Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls said. “Friends, that’s a trend that’s going to continue through the foreseeable future. Get ready, because even higher numbers are in the forecast. Record-setting heat is expected this weekend.”
Temperatures started out in the mid-70s in Atlanta on Thursday, more than 10 degrees above average for this time of year.
Walls expects the humidity to be even higher headed into Memorial Day weekend as North Georgia’s heat wave continues. Atlanta could break records each day this weekend, and it could get close to 100 degrees for the holiday Monday, according to the latest forecast. The projected high is 96, just 1 degree below the hottest it’s ever been in Atlanta during the month of May.
RELATED: Sweltering, potentially record-setting Memorial Day weekend on tap
Humidity will contribute to the heat index for the next few days, Walls said.
“Those heat indexes will be running in the mid- to upper 90s, so please mind the heat,” she said. “Always remember never to leave children or animals in the backseat because these cars can easily heat up 40 to 50 degrees hotter than the temperature outdoors.”
By Thursday evening, a few clouds and spotty rain showers are possible, Walls said.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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