The National Weather Service in Raleigh is keeping an eye on the skies for Raleigh, NC, and its surrounding areas as the forecast brings both the potential for heat-related advisories and isolated flooding this weekend; the outlook was updated early Thursday morning and details a stretch of hot and humid weather, accompanied by risky rain patterns.
Residents expecting clear skies might need to adjust their weekend plans, as there's a "chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 2pm and 5pm" today. With mostly sunny conditions yielding to "heat index values as high as 101," according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service, the skies are set to change with thunderstorms possible overnight into Friday. Friday's scorcher will heat up with a forecasted high near 95, and you'll feel it worse with the heat index peaking at a sizzling 106 degrees, with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms lingering "mainly after 2pm."
Looking ahead at the weekend, Saturday continues this sultry trend with a similar pattern of partly sunny mornings escalating into a 50% chance of afternoon thunderstorms, and those without proper air conditioning will be feeling the full force of heat index values that could reach as high as 106 degrees, and while nighttime brings little relief with lows hovering around the mid-70s, a splash is possible with new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, although higher totals can be accrued in storm conditions.
The remainder of the weekend into early next week suggests more of the same: Sunday's forecast predicts a mostly sunny morning with another afternoon chance of thunderstorms, temperatures staying uncomfortably high near 94 degrees, while into Monday a respite from the heat edges in as temperatures dip to a high near 91; the chance of precipitation sticks at 50%, the evening cools down to a low around 73 yet retains a persistent threat of rain and thunder.
Those in Vance, Warren, Halifax, and other central NC counties have reason to be cautious: the Hazardous Weather Outlook issued by the NWS alerts to "Hot and humid conditions are expected Friday through Sunday," with a specific warning that "high heat index values as high as 105 to 109 degrees are possible each day through the weekend," necessitating potential heat advisories; additionally, there's a noted risk of excessive rainfall particularly Friday and Saturday, which could lead to "isolated flooding," hence residents should remain vigilant, and while spotter activation is not anticipated at this time, this information serves as a reminder of nature's ability to pose serious health and safety challenges.
