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As we continue to pull out all of the “hot” songs we can find, how about this one from Martha and the Vandellas?
“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”
At 2:00, the Birmingham Airport was reporting 96 degrees. Other observations include 96 at Tuscaloosa and 95 at Anniston. A quick peek at the Gulf Shores ABC 33/40 SKYCAM shows a comfortable 85 degrees thanks to the seabreeze.
A few thunderstorms dot our radar screen this afternoon, but they are few and far between, as expected. The most active storms are near the Georgia border, over Randolph and Chambers counties.
LOOKING AHEAD: If anything, the upper ridge will strengthen a bit through mid-week, and the associated warm air aloft should keep a lid on most showers and storms. Still, you have to respect the air parcel buoyancy with the intense heat, and we will maintain a risk of isolated storms each afternoon through the rest of the week. Afternoon highs will remain in the 96 to 100 degree range with lots of hazy sunshine each day.
WEEKEND PEEK: The GFS continues to show the main heat bubble shifting a little west of here, with an upper trough forming over the eastern seaboard. This should mean heat levels backing down just a bit over the weekend, with lows 90s likely as opposed to upper 90s. And, hopefully the “ring of fire” effect will bring a few storms to Alabama over the weekend as well, but the GFS continues to look bone dry.
LONG RANGE: The weather during mid-August looks pretty routine on the 12Z GFS, with hot hazy days and the chance of scattered showers or storms each afternoon. This could very well be the hottest week of the summer for Alabama if the model is correct, with heat levels getting back to normal next week and beyond.
TROPICS: Check out that tropical wave over Africa on today’s Weather Xtreme video. While there is nothing of an organized basis across the Atlantic basin now, the African wave train seems to be cranking up.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 30 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather hosted by David Black and featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We will be recording a new show tonight, and it will be posted by daybreak tomorrow.
WEATHER PARTY: Get all the latest weather news over on our sister site, WeatherParty.com. Be sure and register while you are there; you can submit stories and vote on them to determine what is published on the front page. As always, lots of very interesting articles to read over there.
I sure enjoyed my visit to Wedowee this morning; I spoke to all of the employees of the Randolph County School system as they are gearing up for the beginning of their school year on Thursday. Thanks to Bob Dewhurst of the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries and Jason Wright of the National Weather Service for riding along with me… we had a great trip. Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow!
