Near-record highs expected as heatwave grips Central NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A First Alert Day is in effect today for dangerous heat. Expect feels-like temperatures to climb into the 102 to 106 range this afternoon and evening, so be sure to take plenty of breaks if you're spending time outdoors.

We're also under an Air Quality Alert across the Triangle and Triad due to elevated ground-level ozone. And if you live in our northern counties, don't be surprised if you catch a faint smell of smoke from the ongoing Canadian wildfires.

The heat isn't going anywhere just yet. We'll likely need another Heat Advisory on Saturday, along with a Level 2 risk for a few isolated strong storms during the evening hours.

That Level 2 storm risk continues into Sunday, but the setup looks a bit different. A cold front dropping south from the north should trigger a much greater coverage of showers and thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and evening. The front is expected to slow down or wash out near our area Monday, keeping scattered showers and storms in the forecast.

We're also watching the possibility of tropical moisture streaming northward, which could help boost rainfall totals early next week. I'm not completely sold on that scenario yet, but the Weather Prediction Center is fairly aggressive with projected rainfall amounts, so it's definitely something we'll be monitoring closely.

And the active pattern may continue beyond that. Another unusually strong mid-July cold front could arrive by Wednesday, bringing another round of potentially strong storms.

Bottom line: after today's dangerous heat, we're heading into a stretch of unsettled weather with several opportunities for showers and storms over the next week.

Have a great day,
Steve Stewart