BROOKHAVEN — The National Drought Monitor’s new map shows 98.35 percent of Lincoln County is in the yellow and designated as abnormally dry. It is the first stage of drought conditions.

It is a bit of a surprise given much of Lincoln County received an inch or more of rain last week days before Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. The rainfall was not enough it appears. However, long term forecasts from the National Weather Service do not indicate drought conditions developing further in Lincoln County.

Relative humidity is forecast to remain around 50 percent and above each day until next Tuesday which could help keep wildfire risk low. Forecasted winds could range between 5 to 10 mph over the next several days.

Mississippi Forestry Commission reminds people that the leading cause of wildfires in Mississippi is from escaped debris burning. Please check the weather before and during a burn and do not attempt to burn on high wind days. Be sure to have a firebreak of bare mineral dirt around your burn and keep a close eye on your fire. Drivers should also secure trailer chains while driving down roadways as friction could create sparks and one spark is all it takes to start a wildfire.

Friday has a 30 percent chance of showers mainly after 1 p.m. but otherwise the weather will be sunny through next Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts the risk of the tropical disturbance developing into a cyclone has lessened. Yesterday, forecasts showed a 40 percent chance of a tropical cyclone forming in the next seven days, the chance has now dropped to 30 percent. Hurricane Kirk, out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is forecast to curve back towards Europe a similar path to what Hurricane Isaac took.

Tropical Storm Leslie is our 12th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Leslie is west of the coast of Africa. It is forecast to track west but how much it curves to the north east is not known at this time.

Check back for more weather updates.