Updated

Knoxville, Tennessee and the surrounding region experienced near-record high temperatures this week, with highs pushing back into the 90s during what forecasters called the last hot gasp of summer. Vestal United Methodist Church opened as a cooling center on September 15 to give residents relief from the heat, while forecasters noted the pattern would break with showers and cooler air as the autumnal equinox arrives on September 22, officially marking the start of fall.