Tornadoes, Hail May Come With Severe Storms, Says GA Forecast

ATLANTA, GA — Severe weather is expected to pound the South Central and Southeast regions, including parts of Georgia, next week, weather officials predicted Friday. That could pose problems for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation's busiest airport.

Thunderstorms and strong wind gusts that could cause dangerous travel conditions along the Interstate 20 and Interstate 30 corridors, according to an AccuWeather forecast released Friday.

Meteorologists say the linear storms could arrive Tuesday night into Wednesday in the regions.

Then, parts of the Florida Panhandle, northern Florida, southeastern Alabama, southern and central Georgia and southern and central South Carolina may be at a moderate risk for severe thunderstorms, AccuWeather stated.

Isolated tornadoes, hail and localized damaging wind gusts of 65-75 mph are possible through Wednesday in these areas, AccuWeather stated. This may generate hazardous travel conditions along I-10 and I-20 on Wednesday, weather officials said.

AccuWeather is anticipating hundreds of flight delays and cancelations across South Central and the Southeast from Tuesday through Wednesday night. These disruptions could impact airports in Houston, Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Atlanta.

"Delays and cancellations at hubs like Houston and Atlanta can lead to a cascading effect at smaller airports throughout the country," AccuWeather stated.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service's timeline predictions for the storms mirrored that of AccuWeather's. The NWS said some storms may be strong.

North and central Georgia will undergo a fire watch from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday due to northwest winds of 10-20 mph and relative humidity levels between 20 and 25 percent.

"Due to low humidity and breezy winds, in addition to dry fuels, any fires that develop could spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged," the NWS said in the alert.

Temperatures are expected to be in the lower 60s to upper 70s.

Around 1:40 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service predicted the following detailed forecast for metro Atlanta:

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 68. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 48. West wind 5-10 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 68. West wind 10-15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. North wind 10-15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 54. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 60.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m. Low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Wednesday: Showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 55.