Hot Weather Today Plus Possible Storms in West, Central Alabama

It’s not officially Summer yet but the temperatures have given Alabamians a taste of the upcoming season. The unofficial kick-off to summer is Memorial Day weekend, meteorological summer starts June 1, and the astronomical summer start is June 21.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham said that there is the possibility of “scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible today, with enough energy for a few storms to possibly produce a microburst.”

What is a Microburst?

There are two types of microbursts, wet and dry. Wet microbursts are common in the Southeast during the summer time frame. According to the National Weather Service, “a microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Microbursts can cause extensive damage at the surface, and in some instances, can be life-threatening.”

Where:

The southern and western 2/3rds of the area

When:

1 pm through 9 pm Today

Threats:

Damaging winds up to 60 mph

Quarter size hail

James Spann, ABC 33/40, and Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa Chief Meteorologist noted that the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) “has defined a low end “marginal risk” of severe storms due to the potential of hail and gusty winds. But, the storms will be very random and widely scattered. Some places won’t see any rain today.”

(Source) For more from the National Weather Service Birmingham, click here. Click here to follow the Facebook Page for James Spann.