Atlanta weather: Muggy week ahead with daily rain and storms

ATLANTA - A damp and humid week is ahead for the Atlanta area as a continuous stream of tropical air brings daily rounds of showers and heavy thunderstorms to the region. 

What we know:

Local humidity has returned in full force, dragging a deep layer of moisture across town that will likely stick around for the rest of the summer. Atlanta is currently sitting at 76 degrees with light rain falling on the west side of town, while neighborhoods east of Georgia State Route 400 remain dry Sunday evening. Overnight lows are expected to drop into the upper 60s and low 70s across the metro area.

The moisture will trigger scattered showers and a few rumbles of thunder overnight into Monday morning, potentially impacting the morning rush hour commute. Monday will shape up to be a muggy, mostly cloudy day with highs reaching around 80 degrees.

The weather prediction center has issued an excessive rain threat, noting that localized downpours could produce rainfall rates upward of two inches an hour. While meteorologists do not anticipate a widespread disaster, these heavy downpours carry the potential to cause isolated pockets of localized flooding.

Big picture view:

The stormy weather pattern is part of a larger system that heavily impacted areas further west. Northern Alabama was slammed by torrential rainfall totals of 6 to 7 inches in just a matter of hours, triggering an active flash flood emergency east of the Huntsville area.

Some of that heavy rain is currently tracking straight into northwest Georgia, bringing heavy rainfall amounts south of Chattanooga into Lafayette. Highs in northwest Georgia are staying lower due to the early cloud cover and rain, holding Rome at 73 degrees while eastern towns like Eaton and Thomas sit in the mid-80s.

What's next:

High rain chances will dominate the area through Monday and Tuesday before the precipitation begins to back off slightly by Tuesday afternoon and into the middle of the week. Temperatures will slowly climb as the clouds break, with the metro area flirting with 90-degree weather by Friday.

However, residents should keep their umbrellas close by. The scattered shower threat is expected to return as a daily occurrence heading into next weekend, bringing another round of cooler daytime highs and damp conditions.