Severe storms, ‘excessive’ heat possible Sunday in Alabama

Another round of strong to severe storms will be possible in Alabama on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Storms will be the most likely starting this afternoon and could contain damaging wind gusts, hail and heavy rain. No tornadoes are expected. Storms will be possible through the evening hours.

Sunday will also bring another day of temperatures in the mid- to upper 90s for much of the state. The weather service has issued an excessive heat warning for several southwest Alabama counties, where the heat index could climb as high as 115 degrees, and heat advisories will be in effect for many other areas as well:

The Alabama counties in hot pink will be under an excessive heat warning on Sunday. The counties in orange are under heat advisories.NWS

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center is maintaining a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather for parts of central and south Alabama today (today’s severe weather outlook is at the top of this post).

A Level 2 risk means that scattered severe storms will be possible.

Other parts of the state, except for north and north-central Alabama, have a Level 1 risk today and could have to deal with isolated severe storms.

The weather service expects storms to erupt ahead of a boundary that will drop southward across the state today.

The storms aren’t expected to really start popping until this afternoon, which will give it plenty of time to really heat up.

Northern Alabama had to deal with severe storms on Saturday that caused multiple reports of wind damage:

High temperatures on Sunday will hit the mid- to upper 90s in parts of Alabama, and when the humidity is added in it will feel much hotter — up to 110 to 115 degrees, according to the weather service.

Here are Sunday’s forecast high temperatures:

Sunday highs

Here are Sunday’s forecast high temperatures.NWS

A front is expected to move into Alabama today, helping set off storms but bringing some drier air in its wake.

Temperatures are expected to still be very warm on Monday, but the humidity will be lower, and many areas will escape being under heat advisories.

Here is the forecast for Monday:

Monday temperatures

It will be just a little bit “cooler” in much of Alabama on Monday, and humidity levels in north and central Alabama will be lower.NWS

Temperatures Tuesday through the rest of the work week are expected to stay closer to “normal” levels for Alabama in August, still hot but not upper-90s hot.

Severe weather is not in the forecast, either, for the rest of the week after today.