Nearly 600 Flights Delayed At Hartsfield Airport By Storms

Updated 2:15 p.m. Friday

ATLANTA, GA — Nearly 600 flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were delayed Friday due to storm threats.

There were more than 250 flights canceled at Hartsfield, according to the online tracker, FlightAware. Hartsfield was experiencing 454 delays, disrupting travel plans for customers.

Delta Air Lines was encountering the most delays and cancellations at 365 and 244 respectively, followed by Endeavor Air with 60 delays, FlightAware data showed.

“Yes, there are proactive cancellations today in Atlanta due to severe summer weather,” Delta told WXIA-TV on Friday. “Safety for our passengers and crew is our top priority.”

The delays and cancellations were steadily increasing Friday afternoon.

This came after a ground stop was reportedly issued on Thursday in anticipation of the storms. Thousands of flights were delayed across the U.S. on Thursday, WAGA-TV reported.

On Friday, airlines faced at least 27,000 delays with 5,481 of those traveling within, into or out of the U.S., FlightAware reported. Cancellations surpassed 700 for the States.

More storms were on the way as heat indices were expected to near 105 degrees Friday in Georgia, according to a hazardous weather outlook from the National Weather Service.

Showers and thunderstorms are anticipated to arrive between 11 a.m. and 1 a.m. Saturday. Wind speeds could reach 40-60 mph with heavy rain during an isolated strong to severe storm in the afternoon, the NWS reported.

Here is the National Weather Service's Friday afternoon forecast for metro Atlanta:

This Afternoon: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 98. West wind around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 a.m., then a chance of showers. Low around 68. East wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Sunday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. East wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

Monday: A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 11 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Monday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 8 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Tuesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 a.m., then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.

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