The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for north and central Georgia, warning of scattered to isolated thunderstorms this afternoon and dangerously high heat early next week.

What is in the statement?

The statement gives the following details:

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north and central Georgia.

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…

Scattered to isolated thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms
could be strong with gusty winds, frequent lightning, and locally
heavy rainfall which could lead to ponding on roadways and even
some localized flooding.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Sunday through Friday…

Isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected this
weekend and early next week, though overall storm coverage should
decrease.

The heat will build some early next week, with afternoon feels
like temperatures reaching the 100 to 108 degree range Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday.

The following counties are included in the hazardous weather 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

What is meant by “isolated” and “scattered”?

The NWS defines “isolated” as follows:

A National Weather Service convective precipitation descriptor for a 10 percent chance of measurable precipitation (0.01 inch). Isolated is used interchangeably with few.

“Scattered” has the following definition:

When used to describe precipitation (for example: “scattered showers”) – Area coverage of convective weather affecting 30 percent to 50 percent of a forecast zone (s).

Isolated thunderstorms and scattered thunderstorms are two terms used to describe different distributions of thunderstorm activity within a particular area. The main difference lies in the extent of coverage and how the thunderstorms are spatially distributed:

Isolated Thunderstorms:

• Relatively rare and confined to a limited area.
• Few and far between, with significant gaps between individual storm cells.
• Typically cover less than 20% of the forecast area.
• Can still be intense, producing heavy rain, lightning, gusty winds, and possibly hail.

Scattered Thunderstorms:

• More widespread than isolated thunderstorms.
• Numerous individual thunderstorms develop, but are not continuous or clustered.
• Generally cover between 30% to 50% of the forecast area.
• Still leave considerable gaps; not everyone in the area will experience a storm.

About the National Weather Service

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

“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.”