Heat index in excess of 100 possible in Cobb and other north Georgia counties beginning Monday

image of blazing red sunPhoto credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture. retrieved from https://www.photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/National-Weather-Service/Weather-Wonders/Sunset-Sunrise/emodule/653/eitem/2643

The heat index might rise above 100 in portions of north and central Georgia Monday, according to the National Weather Service, and Cobb County is among one of the counties listed.

The NWS defines the heat index as follows on its website:

The heat index, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. This has important considerations for the human body’s comfort. When the body gets too hot, it begins to perspire or sweat to cool itself off.

Chart from NOAA showing relationship between relative humidity and temperature in heat index

The NWS issued a hazardous weather outlook for Cobb County and much of the rest of north Georgia that included the possibility of isolated thunderstorms today, Sunday June 12, and a heat index above 100 starting Monday.

What is in the hazardous weather outlook?

Here is an excerpt from the hazardous weather outlook:

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and

Central Georgia.

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected across portions

of central Georgia this afternoon and evening. A few storms may

become strong, capable of producing gusty winds, frequent

lightning, and locally heavy rainfall.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Monday through Saturday…

There is potential for afternoon heat index values to be in excess

of 100 in portions of north and central Georgia from Monday

through Saturday.

Scattered thunderstorms are possible each day from Monday through

Thursday, primarily during the afternoon and evening. Isolated

thunderstorms will then be possible mainly in central Georgia on

Friday and Saturday.

What time period does it cover?

The possibility of isolated to scattered thunderstorms lasts from Sunday afternoon through Thursday, while the possible high heat index is forecast through Saturday.

What counties are affected in the hazardous weather outlook?

The following counties are listed in the outlook:

Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Emanuel, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, North Fulton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, South Fulton, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson

About the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NWS describes its role as follows:

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.

Read all the Cobb County Courier climate and weather coverage by following this link.