Heat Wave

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So, did you like the version by Martha and the Vandellas, or Linda Ronstadt the best?

“Whenever I’m with you
Something inside starts burning
and my heart’s filled with fire

Stop this – it’s got a hold on me
I said this ain’t the way it’s supposed to be

It’s like a heatwave burning in my heart
I can’t keep from crying
Tearing me apart”

You know when we begin pulling out the song lyrics, the weather isn’t changing all that much, and today the heat wave rolls along.

TOO HOT: The 00Z 500 mb temperature from the Shelby County Airport sounding was 5970 meters; about as high as it gets, meaning the weather will continue to be very hot statewide today. The actual core of the heat wave is west of Alabama, where Wichita, Kansas reached 108 degrees yesterday. So, the hotter readings will be over the western third of the state, where highs around 100 are likely… mid to upper 90s are likely over the eastern counties. The heat index will be over 100 much of the afternoon, and your main hope for some temporarily relief will come from the strong storms that bubble up quickly on hot summer days in Alabama. Despite warm air aloft, the intense surface heating will produce a number of storms, and those will have gobs of lightning, very heavy rain due to their slow movement, and potential for wet microbursts. Be careful out there.

REST OF THE WEEK: Things won’t change much tomorrow, but we do expect heat levels to slowly come down Thursday and Friday, with a better coverage of scattered showers and storms as the heat ridge weakens a bit, and a surface front approaches from the north.

THE WEEKEND: Looks like highs in the mid 90s Saturday and Sunday, with a mix of sun and clouds and the risk of scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms both days as the surface front hangs up around the Tennessee border.

TROPICS: Tropical Storm Colin has formed in the Atlantic, well east of the Leeward Islands. Colin will be fighting lots of wind shear, and is not expected to become a hurricane over the next 3 to 5 days. This also should not be a Gulf of Mexico storm; it will pass north of the islands, with a north turn over the weekend. It should be a little west of Bermuda late in the weekend, and it a good candidate to recurve harmlessly into the open waters of the North Atlantic early next week without impacting the U.S. East Coast. But, it is early in the game and we will keep an eye on it for possible changes. See the Weather Xtreme video for more details.

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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 this afternoon… enjoy the day!

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