Heat advisory on first day of school for most metro Atlanta districts

Thursday is the first day of school for most metro Atlanta districts, and a heat advisory is in place.

It will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., meaning it will be dangerously hot this afternoon for recess, the ride home or any after-school activities.

Heat advisories take effect when heat index values — an accurate measure of how hot it really feels taking both air temperature and relative humidity into account — top 105 degrees.

With all of the rain we’ve had the past several days, humidity is extremely high. While air temperature is expected to peak at 94 degrees in the city, heat index values could reach up to 110 degrees today, according to the National Weather Service. In high humidity, the body can’t cool itself efficiently because perspiration doesn’t easily evaporate.

That is dangerous because heatstroke sets in when your body temperature exceeds 103 degrees, which can cause damage to the brain, kidneys, muscles, and even death.

Drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun as much as possible, the NWS warns. If you must spend time outdoors, take extra precautions. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothes, limit strenuous activities to the early morning or evening and take immediate action if you notice symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Those symptoms include heavy sweating, dizziness, a rapid pulse, nausea, headaches and cool, moist skin.

In addition to the heat, some areas will see more storms today.

“This afternoon, just a few isolated storms,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “Any one of these storms could become strong, but there’s not gonna be many this afternoon.”

Overall, the rain chance is at 30% today, and we will hover around 30-40% at least through early next week when we start to trend a little drier.

» For a detailed forecast, visit www.ajc.com/weather .

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