Dan Dixon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Huntsville, said high temperatures today through Friday will range from 95 to 100 degrees with a heat index of 101 to 105 degrees. There is a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. The humidity will be between 45% and 50% in the afternoon through Friday.

“Saturday and Sunday we will cool off a little bit, maybe in the 88- to 92-degree range,” Dixon said. “We’ll be back up probably into the 95- to 100-degree range Monday and Tuesday.”

The heat index Monday and Tuesday will be back up to between 101 and 105 degrees.

“Right now, there’s not really an indication that it’s going to break anytime soon,” Dixon said. “We will have some temporary relief from a cold front this weekend, but it looks like the source of the heat is going to come right back in early next week.”

The last time this area reached 100 degrees was in September 2019. Dixon said we will most likely reach 100 degrees soon.

“It’s certainly looking like a pretty good possibility,” he said. “At some point over the next week and a half or so, more than likely we will.”

Dixon said reaching 100 degrees also depends on rainfall, but he said chances of rain are low. There is about a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms today and Thursday.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the most common heat-related illnesses are heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Judy Smith, ADPH area administrator, said the best way to avoid a heat-related illness is to stay out of the heat as much as possible.

“We need to caution people that even though we’re from the South, even though we’re accustomed to hot weather, our bodies are not accustomed to this kind of hot weather,” Smith said. “The best thing we can do is remember that this is serious, triple-digit heat.”

Smith said people should not stay outside too long, should get enough shelter, take breaks and stay hydrated. If someone becomes overheated, she said they should immediately stop what they are doing, get to a cool area and get fluids.

From noon until 8 p.m. today through Friday, the Tennessee Valley Authority is asking customers of area utilities to voluntarily reduce their electrical usage. TVA has suggested that customers set their thermostats at 78 degrees.

TVA is also asking customers of area utilities to avoid using large appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers and ovens during the hottest part of the day.

TVA has not announced any concerns as far as the grid handling the load at this time. They say the advisement is mostly precautionary to help in case the heat is prolonged. There are no indications yet that there will be blackouts or brownouts in the region.