The Heat Continues

ANOTHER HOT DAY: Our Monday will be a hot and mainly dry day, expect to see ample sunshine today and highs once again climb into the upper 90s across much of South/Central Alabama. A Heat Advisory continues for portions of Central Alabama today across as heat index values will exceed 105 degrees during the afternoon with locally higher readings possible. The only heat relief will come from a few afternoon storms.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The overall weather pattern will not be changing all that much for the week ahead. The days will be mainly sunny and hot with highs in the mid to upper 90s for most locations as an upper-level ridge continues to provide Alabama with a late season heat wave. We are not expecting much in the rain department, but we cannot completely rule out a stay afternoon shower or storm each day, but once again, these will be very isolated, and few and far between.

WEEKEND SNEAK PEEK: For now, there are no signs of real change in the weather pattern. We will stick with more sun than clouds with highs in the mid 90s. Could there be a rouge shower or storm during the afternoon hours, it is possible, but it looks like the hot dry pattern will persist.

GABRIELLE: At 500 AM AST, the center of Tropical Storm Gabrielle was located near latitude 37.7 North, longitude 48.5 West. Gabrielle is moving toward the north-northeast near 16 mph. A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected today, and a northeastward motion at an even faster forward speed is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected today, but a weakening trend is likely to begin tonight. Gabrielle is expected to become an extratropical low by Tuesday night. The estimated minimum central pressure is 997 mb (29.44 inches).

ELSEWHERE IN THE TROPICS: A weak area of low pressure, associated with a tropical wave, is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms about midway between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Windward Islands. Some slow development of this system is possible during the next few days before upper-level winds become unfavorable for tropical cyclone formation. This system is expected to move generally westward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean during the next several days. Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent. Formation chance through 5 days…low…30 percent.

Disorganized cloudiness and showers located a few hundred miles north and northeast of the northern Leeward Islands are associated with a surface trough interacting with an upper-level low. Strong upper-level winds are expected to prevent the development of this system during the next few days while it moves west-northwestward to the north of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. However, environmental conditions could become a little more favorable for development when the disturbance moves near the Bahamas and Florida late this week. Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.

Have a great day!
Ryan