THIS AFTERNOON: Temperatures are in the mid to upper 90s across Alabama this afternoon with a sunny sky. Tonight will be fair with a low in the 70s.

HOT WEEK: A strong upper high will cover much of the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. for the next several days and will set the stage for the hottest week of the summer for the Deep South. With a sunny sky, we project highs between 97 and 101 degrees daily with mostly sunny days and fair nights through Friday. Higher heat levels will be found over the western and southern counties of the state. An isolated storm could pop up somewhere across south Alabama on a day or two, but most of the state will stay dry through the week.

The weather is always hot in August around here, and I don’t share “heat tips”; Alabamians know to drink lots of water, stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day and go into an air-conditioned room. It isn’t brain surgery. But heat exhaustion and heat stroke are very real, so if you work outdoors be aware of the symptoms — throbbing headache; confusion; nausea; dizziness; body temperature above 103 degrees; hot, red, dry or damp skin; and a rapid, strong pulse.

THE WEEKEND: The weather won’t change much Saturday with a high between 97 and 101 degrees, but heat levels drop Sunday as the upper ridge weakens and shifts to the west. Sunday’s high will be in the low 90s, and a few afternoon showers or storms could pop up thanks to the cooler air aloft.

NEXT WEEK: Highs drop into the upper 80s through the first half of the week, and we will mention a chance of scattered showers and storms daily. The high will be at or just over 90 Thursday and Friday with only isolated storms.

TROPICS: Here is the latest on the various tropical systems across the Atlantic basin this afternoon:

• Emily dissipated in the Central Atlantic this morning far from land.
• Gert is a junk system about 400 miles east/southeast of the northern Leeward Islands with winds of 40 mph. It will fizzle tonight far from land.
• Franklin is packing sustained winds of 50 mph and is about 275 miles south of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. This will bring heavy rain to parts of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico through Tuesday. It will ultimately turn northeast in the Atlantic and will remain well east of the contiguous U.S.

Closer to home, the broad area of low pressure over the central Gulf of Mexico continues to gradually become better organized, with showers and thunderstorms increasing on the system’s north side. However, surface observations and early-morning visible satellite images suggest that it does not have a well-defined center yet and, therefore, does not meet the definition of a tropical cyclone at this time. Since the system is forecast to strengthen and make landfall as a tropical storm Tuesday, advisories are being initiated on Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine with tropical storm warnings in effect for portions of south Texas. PTC 9 will bring beneficial rain and lower heat levels to the lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas.

This feature will remain well to the south of Alabama and the central Gulf Coast, but it will bring a high rip-current danger through Tuesday.

ON THIS DATE IN 1883: An estimated F5 tornado caused extensive damage to Rochester, Minnesota. The enormous roar was said to have warned most Rochester residents as the massive funnel cut through the north side of town. More than 135 homes were destroyed and another 200 damaged. Many of the 200-plus injuries were severe, and at least 37 people were killed, but probably more. This tornado eventually led to the formation of the Mayo Clinic.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.