It’s unusually cool for the first week of August, but temperatures are expected to moderate to more normal numbers by the weekend.
In her first weekly conference call as interim Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Paducah, Christine Wilegos said Monday morning that high temperatures and humidity will increase a little each day until they are about normal this weekend.
There could be a slight chance of rain Thursday night and Friday morning and again sometime Sunday.
The long-term forecast is showing above normal temperatures and average precipitation next week.
Wielgos noted the National Weather Service is changing severe thunderstorm warnings with the addition of designations or “tags.” There are now “base” severe thunderstorms with 60 mph winds and up to quarter-sized hail, “considerable” severe storms with golf ball-sized hail and 75 mph winds and “destructive” severe thunderstorm warnings that call for baseball-sized hail and winds of 80 mph or more.
She says your cell phone will receive an automated alert for destructive severe thunderstorm warnings, if you have your settings on correctly.
The new warning system became effective Monday morning and the Emergency Alert System on broadcast radio and weather radio will not change.