Sweltering Stretch Continues in the Southeast; More Record Highs Possible This Week (FORECAST)

Linda Lam
Published: June 22,2015
The sweltering heatwave in the Southeast will continue as we start the new week ahead.

Heat Advisories

A zone of high pressure has set up shop in the upper atmosphere over the region. This strong area of high pressure will help to keep conditions hot and humid the next several days.
The result will be the three "H's" - hazy, hot and humid - with the worst of the heat stretching across a large area from the lower-Mississippi Valley to the Southeast coast.

What Does It Feel Like?

High temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees above average for this time of year at times this week. This translates into highs well into the 90s, with a some areas topping the century mark.
This dome of warm air aloft won't completely suppress thunderstorms from forming, and some of those storms may produce brief strong wind gusts along with a burst of heavy rainfall that may provide some relief from the searing heat.
Thankfully, we do see changes coming in the forecast. A large-scale weather pattern change will arrive this weekend, knocking temperatures back down to levels near or even slightly below average for late June in much of the South.
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)
Until then, here's the latest forecast on this week's heat wave and the potential for more daily record highs.

Hot Temperatures Continue; More Records Possible

Forecast Highs

The National Weather Service has issued heat advisories for parts of the eastern Carolinas, central and southern Georgia, southeast Alabama, parts of the Florida Panhandle, northwest Mississippi, east-central Arkansas and southwest Tennessee. That said, the hot temperatures will encompass a much larger area than this across this South. Highs in the middle to upper 90s will also move into the Mid-Atlantic early this week, including Washington, D.C.
On Monday, Charlotte, North Carolina set a new daily record high of 100 degrees and Charleston, South Carolina tied their record of 98 degrees. Daytona Beach, Florida also tied their record high of 96 degrees.
Here are a few of the locations that may be within a few degrees of daily record highs this week along with the current record to beat in parenthesis:
Tuesday: Charlotte, North Carolina (98 degrees); Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (89 degrees); Asheville, North Carolina (93 degrees); Raleigh (100 degrees); Washington, D.C. (98 degrees)
Wednesday: Raleigh (99 degrees) and Wilmington, North Carolina (98 degrees)
(FORECAST: Tallahassee, Florida | Mobile, Alabama | Savannah, Georgia)
In addition to the hot and potentially record-breaking temperatures, dew points will be high, making it feel even hotter. Dew points will climb into the upper 60s and 70s for much of the Southeast, especially in southern Georgia, Florida and near the Gulf Coast.
Highs will generally be in the 90s, with heat index values, or feels-like temperatures, in excess of 100 degrees. The heat index is a measure of what it really feels like when the relative humidity is factored in with the air temperature.

Muggy Nights Ahead

Lows will be very warm and slightly above average, as well, with temperatures only falling into the 70s overnight. This means those without a working air conditioner will not get much reprieve from the heat at night.
Do yourself a favor and take it easy in these hot and humid conditions. Drink plenty of water, stay indoors – preferably with air conditioning – and wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. If you can, limit outdoor activities to the morning and evening hours.

Heat Wave Records Set Last Week

A few locations in the Southeast set new daily record high temperatures last week:

• Charlotte, North Carolina, set new daily record highs on Monday and Tuesday (99 degrees both days). Wednesday's high of 99 degrees was one degree short of a record. On Thursday, another record high was set with the mercury topping out at 100 degrees.
• Columbia, South Carolina, set a new record high of 101 degrees Tuesday and tied the daily record of 101 on Wednesday.
• Raleigh, North Carolina, broke the record high for Monday when the mercury climbed to 99 degrees and again on Tuesday as temperatures climbed to 100 degrees. Thursday's high tied the daily record of 98 degrees for June 18.

On Friday, Orlando tied the record high for the day when the mercury reached 100 degrees. This was also the first time Orlando reached 100 degrees since July 3, 1998.
Senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen and meteorologist Chris Dolce contributed to this report.
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