Our weather team wants you to be aware that thunderstorms are possible Monday morning. We are not expecting severe weather, but you may want to allow extra time as you travel to work.

Most of the rain should be early in the day, but light scattered showers could still linger into the p.m. hours.  In any event, keep the umbrella handy all day.

To continue to address the recent positive tests of West Nile Virus in mosquitos, the Health Department will conduct truck-mounted spraying (adulticiding) of EPA-approved insecticides, weather permitting, in portions specific ZIP codes according to the following schedule from 8-11 p.m.:

Tuesday, August 23rd
38016, 38017, 38018, 38028, 38125, 38139

Wednesday, August 24th  
38002, 38016, 38018, 38028, 38128, 38133, 38134, 38135

Thursday, August 25th
38002, 38016, 38018, 38028, 38053

Monday, August 29th
38106, 38108, 38111, 38114, 38116, 38117, 38118, 38120, 38122, 38127, 38128, 38152

West Nile Virus is expected to be active in neighborhoods throughout Shelby County for a longer period of time this year.  The Shelby County Health Department urges residents to use repellents when outdoors at night regardless of perceived mosquito activity.

On August 9 at 3:05 a.m. Memphis time, sunspot 1263 produced an X7-Class solar flare - only the third X-flare of new Solar Cycle 24 and the most powerful so far.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the explosion's brief but extreme ultraviolet flash. The brunt of the explosion was not Earth directed. Nevertheless, radiation from the flare created waves of ionization in Earth's upper atmosphere, briefly disrupting communications at some VLF and HF radio frequencies.

The blast also accelerated a mild torrent of protons toward Earth which will enhance the Northern Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights