Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer and sweltering heat will have a firm grip on the Southeast through and beyond the extended holiday weekend.
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 600 acres north of Jacksonville, Florida, and led to the closure of a seven-mile stretch of I-95 in its vicinity on Thursday.
The #YellowBluffFire Is still estimated at 600 acres but is now is 55% contained. Crews made good progress reinforcing fire lines today.
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The highway was opened on Friday morning, but officials warn the road can be closed again if conditions warrant.
Containment of the fire increased to 55 percent on Friday.
Firefighters battled the Yellow Bluff Fire on Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Twitter/@FFS_Jax)
Crews are concerned it may still take weeks to fully contain the fire since no rain is in the forecast into early June.
The stagnant weather pattern can trap smoke from any brush fires or pollutants in the urban areas, leading to poor air quality.
While there will be little rain to aid firefights and to impact holiday festivities, residents will have to take the necessary precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses.
Temperatures will soar into the middle and upper 90s daily through Memorial Day in Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta; Tallahassee and Tampa, Florida; and Columbia, South Carolina.
Highs will also reach or exceed the century mark in some communities, such as Augusta, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida.
From Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, to Richmond, Virginia, temperatures will fluctuate from the 80s to the lower 90s this holiday weekend.
"AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures above 100 F will be common throughout the South into Memorial Day 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 heat stroke," he said.
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Anyone participating in sports or other strenuous activities that cannot reschedule for the evening or early morning hours will need to take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water.
Three of the eight 2019 NCAA Softball Tournament Super Regionals will be played in the Southeast amid this heat wave.
"The first two games in the series at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Gainesville and Tallahassee, Florida, will be during the evening hours when the heat will not be as intense," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys. "However, if Game 3 is needed to complete any of the series, these games are scheduled during the hottest time of the day (in the afternoon) on Saturday and Sunday."
The hot weather may lead to an early boom for business at beach communities, especially since it coincides with a busy holiday weekend, according to Vido.
"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.
Sunday and Memorial Day can bring a repeat of temperatures hitting 90 F in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Temperatures from this Memorial Day holiday weekend will enter record books in many communities.
"Most high temperature records across the region stand in the 90s, so many cities are expected to consistently challenge records during the heat wave," Vido stated.
"Many records date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s," Duff added.
On Friday, Augusta, Georgia, tied a 141-year-old record high as the temperature soared to 98 degrees Fahrenheit.
Montgomery, Alabama, will challenge or break daily record highs from the 1910s through the entire extended holiday weekend. The record high of 95 that Atlanta can tie on Memorial Day was set in 1916.
Atlanta will also join Charleston, South, Carolina, and some other locations in challenging all-time May record highs.
Even the nights will be warm across the South with records for the highest overnight lows in jeopardy.
Vido anticipates the intense heat to last into at least the middle of next week.
Also beyond Memorial Day, AccuWeather meteorologists are keeping a close eye on the Gulf of Mexico for potential tropical development later next week.
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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