SAVANNAH, Ga. () – Today marks the official first day of fall with the autumnal equinox occurring at 2:19 PM. On this day, we experience equal hours of daylight and darkness which is a sign that the days will now start getting shorter. In fact, we’ll lose about 15 minutes of daylight between now and the end of September.

And right on cue, the weather is feeling seasonal. In the Savannah area, temperatures will top out in the mid-= 80s, which is right on average for this time of year. Inland areas may reach the upper 80s, but a light breeze should offer some relief. Cloud cover will increase through the morning, which will help temperatures a bit. However, we’re also watching for a few coastal showers early on, with a chance for isolated showers and storms later this afternoon due to a disturbance just off the coast.

Rain chances drop off for Tuesday and Wednesday, but that will allow temperatures to climb slightly above average, reaching the upper 80s to low 90s. A cold front begins to approach from the west on Thursday and is expected to move through by Saturday. This front will bring another increase in rain chances and help bring temperatures back down slightly behind it.

In the tropics, the Atlantic is becoming more active as we move into the heart of hurricane season. Hurricane Gabrielle is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 later today. The good news is that it remains a “fish storm,” staying over open water and heading toward Bermuda.

There are also two other systems we’re monitoring in the Atlantic. The first is a tropical wave producing showers and thunderstorms. While dry air may limit development in the short term, conditions should gradually become more favorable, and a tropical depression could form by mid to late week as it moves west-northwest. The second system is another tropical wave generating disorganized showers and storms. Environmental conditions appear favorable for slow development over the next several days as it moves quickly west-northwest at 15 to 20 mph.