WRAL Weather Alert Day: Heat Advisory starts at noon

Our break from the dangerous heat is over, with a blistering start to the weekend ahead.

A Heat Advisory will be in effect Friday from noon to 9 p.m. for a majority of the area.

"We’ll have intense heat both today and tomorrow, then temperatures will fall to near average with better chances for storms by the end of the weekend," Meteorologist Grant Skinner says.

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• Friday (WRAL Weather Alert Day): Humid and hot with a few brief showers/storms. Highs at around 100°.
• Saturday (WRAL Weather Alert Day): Highs in the upper 90s. Isolated storms possible by the afternoon.
• Sunday (WRAL Weather Alert Day): A better chance for scattered storms. Highs a bit cooler in the low-mid 90s.

Intense heat is likely both today and Saturday. Highs will climb into the upper 90s-100°, and increased moisture will make it feel even hotter with heat index values jumping to well over 100°.

While some brief showers are possible, most everyone will stay dry.

Better rain chances don’t arrive until late Saturday and into Sunday. A front will approach the area bringing scattered storms for the back half of the weekend, and some could be strong or severe. Damaging wind gusts will be the main threat, but some isolated hail can not be ruled out.

Sunday also carries the opportunity for severe storms. Most of our area is in a Level 2 risk zone. The main risk is damaging winds.

More scattered showers and storms are possible Monday, and we’ll keep chances for isolated to scattered storms through the rest of next week. Highs will stay closer to average Sunday through next week in the low-mid 90s.

Parts of the Triangle and eastern North Carolina have received more needed rain over the past week, which has helped ease the drought a little more.

New drought data released on Thursday, July 16, shows the state's exceptional drought is down from 6% to 5%, and the extreme drought is down from 50% to 39%.

WRAL meteorologists have said it could take a tropical system to get rid of our drought status.

It would take more than 15 inches of rain to catch up on the deficit, and much of central North Carolina is likely to remain in a drought through September.

• Friday: Partly cloudy and hot. Isolated late-day storms. Highs near 100.
• Saturday: Partly cloudy and hot. Scattered storms return. Highs will reach the mid to upper 90s.
• Sunday: Another hot day with scattered storms. Highs in the low to mid 90s.
• Monday: Scattered storms with highs in the mid 90s.
• Tuesday: Scattered storms with highs in the mid 90s.
• Wednesday: Scattered storms with highs in the low to mid 90s.
• Thursday: Partly cloudy and less humid with highs in the lower-mid 80s.