Patrick Saunders
,
Associated Press
| WABE
June 29th, 2026
Updated June 30, 2026,
10:27 AM EDT
Atlanta and a huge swath of the state are under a heat advisory for a second straight day on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Peachtree City issued the advisory to go into effect through 8 p.m. Tuesday. The advisory covers an area of Georgia from Dalton and Rome in the north, down into Athens, Atlanta, Newnan, Columbus, Macon and Dublin.
NWS forecasts heat index values over 100 degrees, with the hot temperatures and high humidity potentially causing heat illnesses.
NWS advises those in the advisory area to stay hydrated, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun, and to check up on relatives and neighbors. If going outside, wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening, and take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The heat in Atlanta won’t relent after Tuesday, with temperatures ranging from 94 to 97 degrees and heat index values of at least 100 expected through the July 4th weekend.
City of Atlanta opens cooling centers during heat wave
The City of Atlanta opened a cooling center at Selena S. Butler Park in Northeast Atlanta on Tuesday.
It will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice, except for this Friday, July 3, due to the 4th of July holiday. Bottled water will be provided at the cooling center.
The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation also has splashpads open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Center Hill Park, Cook Park, D.H. Stanton Park, Historic Fourth Ward Park, Perkerson Park and Rev. James Orange Park. They are free and open to the public. They will be closed on Friday and Saturday for the holiday.
The city also operates outdoor and indoor pools that people can use to beat the heat.
Atlanta’s Fire Rescue Department has hydration stations available at all local fire stations.
Heat wave scorching large sections of the U.S. this week
About 56 million Americans are under an extreme heat watch as hot and humid weather is expected to move farther east later in the week, with some of the worst conditions expected by Thursday and Friday in the Ohio Valley, the Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast. Some areas could experience record-high temperatures, said Scott Kleebauer, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
On Monday, cities and event planners were already announcing adjustments for or calling off events later in the week, including a farmer’s market scheduled for Tuesday in DeWitt, Michigan; a movie screening Wednesday in Fairfield, Ohio; and Thursday’s food truck festival in Warwick, New York.
The heat wave will also likely coincide with the Fourth of July holiday weekend, providing additional risk as more people have cookouts or watch fireworks outside for the 250th anniversary of American independence.
