Atlanta weather turns unsettled Sunday afternoon into the night, with scattered thunderstorms expected to develop in metro Atlanta. Eboni Deon of Channel 2 Action News said, “As we heat up, we will see scattered storms developing.”
The storms could bring damaging winds, large hail, frequent lightning, and locally heavy rain. Atlanta is expected to reach 88 degrees Sunday, just shy of the 90-degree record.
Eboni Deon and the Sunday forecast
Deon also described “Temperatures soaring well above normal, and close to record levels,” before the storms move in. The Level 1 storm risk covers most of North and central Georgia, putting a broad stretch of the state in the zone for the strongest storm chances.
That forecast arrives after a stretch of dry conditions across Georgia. Much of the state remains under extreme drought, and some areas are still in exceptional drought, even after recent rain brought slight improvements.
Georgia drought and burn risks
The National Weather Service issued a drought information statement on Thursday, saying the recent rain helped only a little. It also said, “This does not mean it will rain every day or that there will necessarily be a period of heavy rain,” but, “However, it does suggest increased opportunities for wet weather.”
Gov. Brian Kemp lifted the temporary burn ban earlier this month, even as the Pineland Road fire and the Highway 82 fire were 90% contained last week. Long-range models point to wetter-than-normal conditions in the last part of May, leaving Sunday’s storms as the immediate concern for metro Atlanta.
North and central Georgia
For readers across North and central Georgia, the practical issue is timing: the storms are expected Sunday afternoon into the night, after the day heats up. That combination leaves the state watching for wind, hail, lightning, and heavy rain in the same forecast window.
