Midday Nowcast: Hot and Very Humid Independence Day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA: The weather is hot and very humid with highs in the mid to upper 90s for most places this afternoon. Moisture levels are high as dew points are in the 70s, and that is causing heat index values to climb into the danger range across most of Alabama. A heat advisory continues for most of Alabama today as heat index values will be in the 105°-109· range. Some scattered showers ands storms will develop across the Alabama through the afternoon and evening hours.

BIRMINGHAM ALMANAC: For July 4th, the average high for Birmingham is 90° and the average low is 71°. The record high is 102° set in 1921, while the record low is 58° set in 1924. We average 0.18” of precipitation on this date, and the record value is 3.18” set in 2015.

TOMORROW AND THE WEEKEND: It is a long holiday weekend for most folks and scattered showers and storms will become more numerous across Alabama as the air becomes more unstable, and moisture levels rise. The chance of any one spot getting wet tomorrow will be in the 50/60 percent range and will drop to the 30/40 range Saturday and Sunday. Highs will remain in the mid to upper 90s. Heat index values will be in the danger range, and we are likely to see more Heat Advisories through the weekend.

NEXT WEEK: We will roll with a persistence forecast. Hot, humid, with those daily showers and thunderstorms around mainly during the afternoon and evening hours. Expect highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s.

IN THE TROPICS: Hurricane Beryl is impacting the Cayman Islands today and heading towards the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 20 mph. A westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next day or two, taking the core of Beryl away from the Cayman Islands this morning and over the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday. Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday night and turn northwestward.

Reports from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph with higher gusts. Beryl is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Weakening is forecast during the next day or two, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula. The minimum central pressure from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft data is 968 mb (28.59 inches).

We are still watching Invest 96L which is trailing Beryl. It is a fast-moving tropical wave located over the eastern Caribbean Sea is producing some disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. Development, if any, of this system should be slow to occur while it moves quickly westward to west-northwestward at 20 to 25 mph across the Caribbean Sea through this weekend. The system is forecast to cross the Yucatan Peninsula and enter the southwestern Gulf of Mexico by early next week where some development could occur. Gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall are possible across portions of the Greater Antilles over the next few days. Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent.

Next name up is Debby and the rest of the basin is quiet.

BEACH FORECAST CENTER: Highs in the upper 80s and low 90s with storms on a daily basis. Water temperatures are very warm with mid-80s being reported up and down the Northern Gulf Coast. PLEASE pay attention to the Rip Current Flags System at each beach for the update on rip currents as the rip current threat will be increasing heading into the weekend.

Get the latest weather and rip current forecasts for the beaches from Fort Morgan to Panama City on our Beach Forecast Center page. There, you can select the forecast of the region that you are interested in visiting.

WORLD TEMPERATURE EXTREMES: Over the last 24 hours, the highest observation outside the U.S. was 120.2F at Dal Bandin, Pakistan. The lowest observation was -96.9F at Dome C, Antarctica.

CONTIGUOUS TEMPERATURE EXTREMES: Over the last 24 hours, the highest observation was 122F at Death Valley, CA. The lowest observation was 26F at Foxpark, WY.

WEATHER ON THIS DATE IN 1776: Thomas Jefferson paid for his first thermometer, and signed the Declaration of Independence. According to his weather memorandum book, at 2 PM it was cloudy and 76 degrees.

Tags: ANC, featured

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS