Scattered thunderstorms are forecast to move into metro Atlanta Sunday afternoon into the night, and they could turn severe just as temperatures climb near a record. Atlanta is expected to reach 88 degrees, only two degrees below the record high of 90 for the day, with humidity helping fuel the storms.
National Weather Service meteorologist Eboni Deon said conditions are lining up for trouble. “Temperatures soaring well above normal, and close to record levels,” she said, adding that “As we heat up, we will see scattered storms developing.” The storms could bring damaging winds, large hail, frequent lightning and locally heavy rain, with a Level 1 risk covering most of North and central Georgia.
The threat lands on top of a state already strained by drought. The National Weather Service issued a drought information statement Thursday saying significant drought conditions were persisting throughout Georgia, and much of the state remains in extreme drought, with some areas in exceptional drought. Recent rain brought slight improvement, but it has not broken the dry stretch that has dominated much of the spring.
That drought has kept fire concerns elevated even as weather patterns begin to shift. Gov. Brian Kemp lifted the temporary burn ban earlier this month, citing improvements in weather and decreasing fire risks in the executive order he issued. Last week, the Pineland Road fire and the Highway 82 fire were both 90% contained, though two large wildfires in South Georgia continue to burn.
Forecasters say the bigger pattern may be changing later in May. Long-range models point to wetter-than-normal conditions in the last part of May, but the Weather Service cautioned that this does not mean it will rain every day or that Georgia is necessarily headed for a prolonged soaking. It does, however, suggest more chances for wet weather in a state that has spent much of the season fighting heat, drought and fire risk at the same time.
For Sunday, the immediate question is whether the storms stay scattered or organize enough to cause damage across a wide stretch of North and central Georgia. The answer will depend on how much heat builds before the first cells fire, but the setup is already clear: hot, humid air, dry ground and storms capable of turning rough fast.
