By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Record-breaking heat will have a firm grip on the southeastern United States beyond the middle of the week.
Residents will have to continue taking the necessary precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses.
Dozens of record highs have fallen amid the heat wave since it began late last week.
Saturday's high of 100 F at Savannah, Georgia, tied the record for the earliest occurrence of triple-digit heat in the city. On Sunday, the city set an all-time record high for May as the mercury soared to 102.
Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, reached 100 for the first time ever in May on Sunday.
The heat wave will continue to enter record books in many communities into Thursday.
Temperatures are set to soar into the 90s throughout the South on Wednesday. Highs near or above the century mark will once again bake Columbia, South Carolina; Augusta and Savannah, Georgia; and Jacksonville, Florida.
Along the northern fringe of the heat, which will surge into the southern mid-Atlantic, severe thunderstorms will once again target parts of the mid-Atlantic and upper Ohio Valley.
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"AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures above 100 F will be common throughout the South due to sunshine and moderate humidity levels," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Max Vido.
"Such values can put residents, especially older adults and children, at risk for heat exhaustion and heatstroke," he said.
Amid the heat, residents are reminded to never leave children or pets in a sealed vehicle without air conditioning. Heat can rise to deadly levels in these vehicles in just a short amount of time.
Nine children have died due to vehicular heatstroke deaths so far this year (through May 24), according to NoHeatStroke.org.
"While coastal communities will not be as hot as inland areas, residents and visitors should not anticipate much cooling even near the water," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.
Tuesday marked the third consecutive day of temperatures near the century mark in Charleston, South Carolina. A high in the mid-80s is more common this time of year.
Even the nights will be warm across the South with records for the highest overnight lows in jeopardy.
On Thursday, the intense heat will maintain a firm grip on areas east of the Appalachian Mountains as the heat is trimmed to the west.
The heat will continue to ease across more of the region Friday into this weekend.
For the final day of May, temperatures will be back into the middle to upper 80s in Charlotte and Raleigh.
On Saturday, highs in the lower to middle 90s are anticipated from Columbia to Jacksonville. While such readings are still very warm for the start of June, it is not as extreme as what is currently being endured.
With the high heat in place, residents will have to use care with campfires, coals from grills and fireworks to avoid igniting new brush fires.
The Yellow Bluff Fire has charred 608 acres north of Jacksonville, Florida, and led to the closure of a 7-mile stretch of I-95 in its vicinity last Thursday.
The highway was opened on Friday morning, and officials report that smoke problems over the interstate have since been minimal.
Containment of the fire stands at 75 percent.
The stagnant weather pattern can trap smoke from any brush fires or pollutants in the urban areas, leading to poor air quality.
Download the free AccuWeather app to see expected high temperatures in your community. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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