Southeast weather swings - Record heat, then severe storms

Before the storm moves in over the Southeast, including much of the Deep South, afternoon temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday will be near, tying, or breaking record heat. Morning temperatures will also be warm staying between the mid to upper 60s at sunrise.

There are over two dozen cities extending from South Texas through the Southern Appalachians where records could be tied or broken. Houston will experience highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s and lots of humidity in place. Birmingham, Alabama’s high temperature will reach 75 degrees.

Check the temperatures in our interactive Temperature Radar.

Although Florida is not forecast to experience storms, the heat will be present on Wednesday with a high forecast to hit 85 degrees which would tie the record set in 2015. The Piedmont in the Carolinas could also experience record heat, with highs in the mid-70s. This is near 20 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

Storms will start to pick up in activity on Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning. Damaging winds and an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. Residents over extreme eastern Texas Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, the northern half of Georgia, and Tennessee should monitor the weather closely.

Use our interactive WeatherRadar to see how the storms will move

The chance for severe storms will diminish after the cold front pushes through, which will move from west to east. The severity will end for Texas, Louisiana, and much of Mississippi by late Wednesday evening. Scattered thunderstorms will still be possible on Thursday morning for Georgia and the Carolinas.

As the cold front pushes east, it will lose its punch. Temperatures will drop slightly over the southern Central Plains but will remain well-above average to end the year across the Southeast. On Friday, there could still be some records tied or broken in Georgia, the Carolinas, the Gulf Coast and Florida.