Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia can expect a mostly sunny and warm Saturday, with hotter temperatures building during the coming week.

Today will be sunny with a high near 89 degrees. Winds will be calm early, becoming southeast around 5 mph this afternoon. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 70.

The National Weather Service says scattered thunderstorms are possible across parts of Georgia today, and a few storms could become strong with gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall. The better chances for storms appear to be outside the immediate Chattooga County area, where the local forecast remains dry.

Sunday will bring patchy fog before 9 AM, followed by mostly sunny skies and a high near 89. There is a 20 percent chance of a shower or thunderstorm during the afternoon. Sunday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 70.

Temperatures begin climbing as the new work week gets underway. Monday will be sunny with a high near 91, along with a 20 percent chance of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm. Monday night’s low will be around 71.

By Tuesday, sunshine will dominate with a high near 93. Wednesday and Thursday are both forecast to be sunny with highs around 94 degrees, while overnight lows climb into the lower 70s.

Friday remains hot with a high near 94 and only a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.

The Weather Service says high pressure building across the Southeast will suppress most afternoon thunderstorm development while allowing temperatures and heat indices to rise. Triple-digit heat index readings are expected across much of Georgia during the work week, particularly farther south.

For Northwest Georgia, the main weather story will be the return of midsummer heat despite September being just days away.