Metro Atlanta weather: Scattered storms, heat advisories on Sunday

ATLANTA - Isolated pop-up storms will bring heavy rain, hail and lightning to portions of North Georgia through Saturday night before expanding into wider scattered disruptions on Sunday. Forecasters warn that some areas face a low-level severe weather threat alongside intense humidity. 

Sunday storm threat rises

What we know:

A Level 1 out of 5 severe weather outlook covers northern and northwestern counties west of metro Atlanta on Sunday. These isolated hit-or-miss storms are expected to develop around noon and continue through dinner time, with another round possible late Sunday night. While meteorologists do not anticipate a complete washout, any storms that develop could produce damaging winds, heavy downpours, localized flooding and small to moderate hail.

Earlier on Saturday, heavy storms dropped significant rain over Gwinnett County and generated small hail in the northwestern corner of the state, including Walker and Chattooga counties. By late evening, new isolated cells began popping up near North Druid Hills and southeast of Dobbins Air Force Base.

Extreme heat remains widespread

The backstory:

Extreme afternoon heat dominated the entire region all week long with temperatures soaring into the upper 90s. On Saturday, Eatonton climbed to a high of 99 degrees after completely missing out on the cooling effects of the afternoon rain showers. High humidity levels mean that even late-evening temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s continue to feel like the 90s across a massive portion of North Georgia. 

Georgia heat advisory

Why you should care:

A localized heat advisory will go into effect from noon until 8 p.m. Sunday for central Georgia communities. The advisory impacts southeastern sections of the local viewing area, stretching from Athens and Monroe to just east of McDonough and over Eatonton. Residents in these specific zones should prepare for dangerous heat index values that will climb to around 106 degrees. 

Next week weather trends

What's next:

High temperatures are expected to max out in the middle 90s on Sunday before a cooling trend begins early next week. Afternoon highs will eventually drop into the lower 90s, which aligns much closer to normal averages for this time of year. Despite the slightly cooler air, a persistent summer pattern means a daily chance for an isolated storm will remain in the seven-day forecast.