Tuscaloosa residents woke up this morning to light rainfall, but the bad news: that meager amount of rain wasn't enough to break our current record-setting dry streak. Tuscaloosa has now gone 47 days without measurable rainfall, and the County is now under extreme drought conditions.

According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa's current drought is the worst since 1955 (the city saw 37 days without rain then) and since the NWS began keeping records in 1942. Tuscaloosa's rainfall deficit is now 11 inches; even though cooler temperatures are finally in the forecast, we won't be getting the rain we need any time soon.

Today's forecast calls for exceptionally dry and windy conditions, and as such, the NWS has issued a Red Flag Warning in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Read the full text of the warning below:

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT
THIS EVENING FOR DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS FOR ALL OF CENTRAL
ALABAMA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* WINDS...NORTH 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 25 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...OF A DRY AIRMASS AND WINDY CONDITIONS COMBINED WILL
RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. OUTDOOR BURNING IS
NOT RECOMMENDED

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW....OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

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