Break in the heat coming within days in Central Mississippi

Mississippians have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of cooler weather—along with about half of the country—for weeks.

Now, it looks as if the heat wave is within days of moving on from the state bringing welcome relief.

After a spring and early summer of never-ending rain and flooding, the end of summer brought some of the hottest, driest weather of the season, causing near-drought and drought conditions to the Magnolia State and much of the South from the Carolinas to Texas.

Daytime temperatures hit well into 90s almost every day during September, ushering in fall with blazing heat. Mississippi is under a state-wide burn ban, meaning outdoor burning that can produce embers is prohibited.

But relief is within sight. The forecast for Monday in Vicksburg shows a high of 75 degrees, with a 40 percent chance of rain and morning thunderstorms.

Daytime highs will rise into the mid- and upper-80s for the following week, which should feel positively cool.