Heat index values of 100 to 107 degrees are expected Friday July 5 across north and central Georgia. Scattered thunderstorms are also expected.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Cobb County and other counties in the region.

In this article you will learn:

1. What is stated in the advisory
2. What “heat index” means
3. The counties covered by the advisory
4. About the National Weather Service

What is in the heat advisory?

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…

Heat index values in the 100 to 107 degree range are anticipated

today, and a Heat Advisory will be in effect from 11 AM to 8 PM

for all areas with the exception of the mountains of northeast

Georgia.

Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected,

especially during the afternoon and evening. Locally heavy

rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds are possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Saturday through Thursday…

Slight cooling should occur in northern Georgia over the weekend,

so the hottest conditions on Saturday and Sunday may be confined

to central Georgia.

Scattered thunderstorms will continue each day through Thursday.

Coverage of storms will generally be maximized during the

afternoon and evening hours each day. The risk for severe weather

remains low.

What is the heat index?

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

What counties are affected?

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.