Most of Georgia is under a heat advisory through Saturday evening as the “feels like” temperature — a combination of heat and humidity — is expected to reach as high as 106 degrees.
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.” Often people will cite the heat index as the actual temperature. It may not be the actual temperature, but it is actually what the weather feels like.
What’s happening: Two overlapping heat advisories are in effect across the state. A shorter advisory covering five northeast Georgia counties — Stephens, Franklin, Hart, Cherokee, and Pickens — runs until 8 p.m. today, with heat index values up to 106. A broader advisory covering most of the rest of the state runs until 8 p.m. Saturday, with heat index values up to 105. That second advisory covers:
- Northwest Georgia: Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Chattooga, Gordon, Floyd, Bartow, Polk, Haralson, Carroll, Heard
- North Georgia: Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Dawson, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Jackson, Barrow, Paulding, Douglas
- Metro Atlanta and surrounding counties: Cobb, North Fulton, South Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, Clayton, Fayette, Coweta, Henry, Walton, Newton, Spalding
- East and central Georgia: Clarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Wilkes, Madison, Morgan, Greene, Taliaferro, Jasper, Butts, Putnam, Hancock, Warren
What this means for you: Children and pets must not be left in unattended vehicles. Car interiors can reach lethal temperatures within minutes. Anyone showing signs of heat stroke needs to be moved to a cool, shaded spot right away, and 911 should be called.
Staying safe: Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, and stay out of the sun. Check on neighbors and relatives. If you have to be outside, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing and try to keep hard physical activity to early morning or evening. Outdoor workers should take frequent breaks in the shade or somewhere with air conditioning.
What’s the big deal?: High temperatures are dangerous because they can lead to heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which occur when the body cannot cool itself effectively. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can result in dehydration, organ damage, and in severe cases, can be fatal. Additionally, high temperatures can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions and place vulnerable populations, like the elderly and young children, at greater risk.
The path forward: The broader advisory covering most of Georgia stays in effect through 8 p.m. Saturday, July 4.
Aw, Hell. Actually, come to think of it, Hell might be a few degrees cooler than Macon right now.
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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.
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