Memphis residents, it's time to prepare for a sunny stretch with temperatures soaring near the mid-90s, but be warned, the air quality may impact your outdoor plans. The National Weather Service in Memphis forecasts a calm wind turning southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon today, with the mercury tipping at a high near 95 degrees. As the sun sets, partly cloudy skies will greet the night with a mild low around 72 degrees, and a gentle south southeast wind slowing to a calm pace.
Looking ahead, Friday promises a 20 percent chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms after the dry heat of a mostly sunny day, peaking at a high near 93. Similarly, the weekend will bask under the sun with calm winds, though nighttime brings partly cloudy skies and slightly cooler dips in temperature, the air around us remains laden with a weight, an anticipation of showers as Sunday night approaches, bringing a 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms after 1 am, this swing from serene to stormy, a characteristic dance of climates clashing in the breath of seasons.
An Air Quality Alert has been issued for the region, including Memphis, with sensitive groups like active children, adults, and especially those with respiratory issues such as asthma being advised to limit prolonged outdoor exertion, according to the alert relayed by the National Weather Service in Memphis. The forecast for ozone levels today indicates values surpassing the Environmental Protection Agency's federal safe health standard; hence, the Code Orange Ozone Forecast is in effect for Shelby County, Tennessee, as well as Crittenden County, Arkansas, and DeSoto County, Mississippi.
Towards the start of next week, temperatures are expected to drop slightly with highs in the upper 80s, but the chances of showers and thunderstorms persist at 30 percent well into Tuesday, as the weather insists on playing its tune, unpredictable yet familiar to those who've endured the summers of the South; Monday's low around 69 degrees suggests cooler nights offering sparse respite, a fleeting caress of a breeze before the daylight returns with its cloak of humidity and warmth.
