Georgians across a wide stretch of the state are facing two weather threats at the same time this afternoon: active thunderstorms bringing lightning, hail, and damaging wind, and a heat advisory covering most of the state that runs through Saturday evening.
What’s Happening: Three separate storm clusters are moving through Georgia right now. All three are nearly stationary or barely moving, which means the hazards are sitting in place rather than passing through quickly:
- A storm hovering over Six Flags Over Georgia and the Atlanta area is producing 40 to 50 mph wind, pea-sized hail, and frequent lightning. It covers Cobb, North Fulton, Douglas, and South Fulton counties, including Atlanta, Smyrna, Douglasville, Mableton, Austell, East Point, Lithia Springs, Sweetwater Creek State Park, and Campbellton.
- A storm near Trenton in Dade County is bringing 40 to 50 mph wind, heavy rain, and lightning. The rain may cause temporary street flooding, especially in low-lying or poorly drained areas.
- A storm near Fayetteville is drifting southwest at 10 mph with wind up to 40 mph, pea-sized hail, and lightning. It covers South Fulton, Coweta, Fayette, and Clayton counties, including Peachtree City, Union City, College Park, Fairburn, Tyrone, and Palmetto.
The heat: Heat advisories are in effect across most of Georgia through Saturday evening. The heat index — what the air actually feels like when you factor in humidity — is expected to hit as high as 108 degrees in parts of northeast Georgia today. Most of the state is under an advisory with heat index values up to 105. The advisories stretch from the northwest corner of the state through metro Atlanta and into east central Georgia, and they stay in effect through 8 PM Saturday.
What This Means for You: If you are outside during any of these storms, go inside now. If you can hear thunder, lightning can reach you. Drivers in Dade County should slow down — flooded roads can cause a vehicle to hydroplane and lose control. On the heat side, do not leave children or pets in a parked car for any reason; car interiors reach deadly temperatures within minutes. If someone shows signs of heat stroke, call
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