Residents of Knoxville should brace for a mix of predominantly sunny skies with intermittent chances of showers and thunderstorms over the next week. Today promises mostly sunny and hot weather with a high near 92 degrees; heat indexes could hit a sweltering 98 degrees with a calm wind shifting south at about 5 mph in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Knoxville.

This evening, the likelihood of rainfall and thunderstorms drops to a slim 10 percent before 8pm leaving the night partly cloudy and the low resting around 74, while the calm easterly breeze is expected to settle as night falls, the upcoming weekend forecasts suggest an uptick in precipitation chances particularly on Sunday where there is a hefty 70 percent likelihood of rain showers and possible thunderstorms before 2pm, then the odds remain high after 2pm.

Looking ahead, Saturday follows a similar pattern with a 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms mostly after 11am under mostly sunny conditions and high temperatures peaking near 92 degrees.

As the new week begins, Monday will be sunny and slightly cooler with a high of 87 degrees. However, the break from rain will be brief, with a 20 percent chance of rain on Wednesday, increasing to a 50 percent chance on Independence Day. While the week overall promises hot and sunny days, the weather could change quickly, potentially affecting outdoor plans.