Overview
- Forecasters on Monday reported widespread heat from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, with highs in the upper 80s to mid-90s and the first 90-degree readings of the year in spots such as coastal Virginia, New Hampshire and the Ohio Valley.
- The National Weather Service flagged the stretch as headline-making heat for the first half of the week as sinking air under a large high-pressure dome clears skies and lets the sun push temperatures well above average.
- Humidity will add to the strain, with heat index values climbing into the mid to upper 90s in several areas and very high UV levels prompting sun-exposure risks in places like coastal Virginia.
- The Storm Prediction Center highlights a Tuesday threat for scattered strong to severe storms in parts of the Ohio Valley, with forecasters warning of damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph, large hail and a brief tornado possibility.
- A cold front arrives midweek to knock highs back into the 70s in many locations, and the Gulf Coast faces repeated downpours with 1 to 3 inches of rain and a marginal flood risk in southeast Louisiana on Wednesday.