The National Weather Service is warning Georgia residents to brace for another day of potentially dangerous heat, with temperatures feeling like 112 degrees in some areas.
🌡️ Why It Matters: Heat indices this high can cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke, especially for people working outdoors, elderly residents, and children. The warning affects millions across north and central Georgia.
What is the Heat Index?: The heat index refers to what the temperature feels like when the air temperature is combined with relative humidity. The thermometer in your car may report 90 degree temperatures, but the humidity means that to your body, it will feel like it is over 100 degrees. The heat index is sometimes called the “apparent temperature.”
⚠️ What’s Happening: An Extreme Heat Warning and Heat Advisory remain active through 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service Peachtree City office. Peak heat indices are expected to range from 103 to 112 degrees across the region.
⛈️ Storm Watch: Scattered thunderstorms are forecast for this afternoon and evening. The National Weather Service says a few storms could pack wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph, creating additional hazards for residents already dealing with extreme heat.
🔮 The Big Picture: The National Weather Service predicts hot and humid conditions will persist through Thursday, with heat indices near 105 degrees possible in central and eastern Georgia. Scattered afternoon and evening storms are expected through the weekend, though the overall severe weather risk remains low.
The Sources: National Weather Service Peachtree City, Georgia.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
