A sizzling September grips parts of the southern United States

This past weekend high temperature records were set on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, at 37 Celsius and Charleston, South Carolina, at 34C.

The heat is forecast to extend across much of the south in the coming days as a large dome of high pressure settles in over the region.

Normal high temperatures for the second week of September across the south range from the high 20s Celsius, to the low 30s.

Atlanta, Georgia, is expected to see temperatures rise throughout the week with Thursday forecast to reach a high of 36C, challenging the previous daily high record of 34.4C which was set in 1900.

Atlanta is not the only city that will be challenging record-high temperatures in the coming days. Nashville, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, will all have record-challenging heat this week.

Add humidity to the heat and residents will have a very uncomfortable few days ahead.

The high pressure overhead will also reduce the chance of a cooling shower or even thunderstorm and will also lead to air quality issues as the hot air becomes trapped, with no winds to clear the pollutants in the atmosphere.

Looking ahead to the coming weekend, a break in the heat is likely, with showers and thunderstorms once again moving through, clearing the air and bringing temperatures back down to more seasonal and bearable levels.