Hottest weather yet this season to challenge records in southeastern US into Wednesday
There were approximately 1,200 emergency department treated injuries involving burns associated with playground equipment between 2010 and 2015. There are a number of safety precautions to help keep your children safe while on a playground during a heat wave.
The southeastern United States will get an early taste of summer as heat and humidity build throughout the region into midweek.
While the calendar is nearing May, it will feel like it has jumped to June from portions of the Deep South to the Tennessee River Valley and lower mid-Atlantic.
Some residents may be turning on the air conditioning sooner than they would like and precautions will need to be taken by anyone laboring outside during the hottest time of the day (afternoon hours).
A building area of high pressure out of the Gulf of Mexico will pump in warmth and humidity as April comes to a close, according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
High temperatures will surge well into the middle to upper 80s F and may touch the 90-degree-Fahrenheit mark in some areas. Such levels are 10-15 degrees above normal for this time of year.
Temperatures will hit their highest mark yet this year in some areas.
An uptick in humidity and sunshine will bump AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures several degrees higher, making it vital for anyone outside to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, sunglasses, hats and sunscreen will also be necessities as the temperature climbs. Doing any type of outdoor exercising or work during the early morning and evening hours can lessen the risk of heat-related illnesses.
Never leave a child or pet in a locked vehicle even with the windows cracked as the temperature can climb to lethal levels in minutes, even during the springtime.
Avoid playgrounds directly in the sun during the afternoon hours when the equipment can be hot enough to cause serious burns.
Heat will expand from the Deep South to North Carolina and Virginia into the middle of the week.
Following a few record challenging highs on Monday, Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Atlanta and Athens, Georgia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Roanoke, Virginia, will follow suit on Tuesday with each city challenging its respective record high for the date.
The summerlike conditions will provide great baseball weather for the remainder of the Atlanta Braves four-game series with the San Diego Padres and may help boost fly balls out of SunTrust Park for home runs.
The heat is likely to persist into Wednesday and perhaps even Thursday along the southern Atlantic Seaboard.
"With a shift of the overall storm track to the north, the South will dry out for the remainder of the month," Pastelok said.
Mainly dry weather could continue into the first couple days of May.
Storminess will instead focus across the central and southern Plains, where there will be an enhanced risk of flooding and severe weather into midweek.
The broad area of high pressure should slow the progression of rain from this system toward the Southeastern states, according to Pastelok.
The stretch of dry weather will be good news for communities that continue to clean up after a slew of severe weather events in recent weeks.
Download the free AccuWeather app to find out how hot it will get in your community and when rain could make a return. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
