Summer's heat, humidity arrives on heels of hottest spring on record
June begins with a warmup. This week will certainly feel like summer – humid afternoons with a change of thunderstorms and highs near 90 degrees.
We are coming out of the warmest meteorological spring on record. The average temperature at Raleigh-Durham International Airport for the months of March, April and May – the average of highs and lows around the clock – was 75.8 degrees. The previous record was set in 2012, when the spring temperature averaged 75.2 degrees.
- Monday: A few showers or thunderstorms are possible. High 85.
- Tuesday: Cloudy, hot and humid. High 89.
- Wednesday: Cloudy with a few scattered storms. High of 87.
Summer heat arrives with highs close to 90, scattered storms
With a high temperature of 85, Monday will be the coolest day of the week. After that, we settle into a summer pattern – hotter, more humid, and with a chance for scattered showers or thunderstorms each afternoon.
Expect warm evenings and sticky nights, too. Dew points will be in the 60s, and overnight lows only dip to about 70 degrees.
Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are possible each day from Monday to Thursday, although we don't expect anything widespread.
"The wettest days this week will likely be Wednesday and Thursday as a front slowly crosses the area," WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.
By Friday, the clouds clear out for clear skies, but the days remain warm, with highs in the mid-80s.
"Currently the weekend looks dry and less humid," Gardner said.
7-day forecast for central NC
- Monday: Chance for showers and storms. High of 85.
- Tuesday: Partly cloudy, very warm and humid. Highs in the upper 80s.
- Wednesday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High of 87.
- Thursday: A few afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s.
- Friday: Sunshine but warm. High 87.
- Saturday: Mostly clear. High 86.
- Sunday: Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 88.
Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will see 17 to 25 named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to the NOAA forecast. The agency has never predicted a higher number of storms for a season.
The number of named storms is significantly higher than the long-term average and moderately higher than recent 30-year averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at N.C. State.
In 2024, NOAA researchers predict:
- 17 to 25 named storms
- 8 to 13 hurricanes
- 4 to 7 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher)
The NOAA forecast is in line with earlier forecasts issued by North Carolina State and Colorado State universities.
A combination of a La Niña pattern and record warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean set up the conditions for storms to form, organize and strengthen.
