HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — The extreme heat of recent days will soon be behind us beginning Sunday as a cold front dropping south of the region will usher in refreshingly cooler air for most of next week. That front will bring a few strong to severe thunderstorms Saturday evening before pushing south of Virginia. Be alert for the potential for damaging wind gusts and flooding rainfall with any stronger storms Saturday evening.
As for the temperature changes ahead, look for highs in the 80s through Thursday, a welcome change!
Dew points will turn noticeably lower (therefore more comfortable with less humidity) from later Sunday through at least midweek, so along with the cooler temperatures the muggy conditions will ease for a few days as well. Dew points in the low to mid 60s are pretty nice for summertime here.
Regarding rain chances next week, aside from a few PM storms Monday (mainly in North Carolina), the forecast is mainly dry until the end of the week, although a few isolated showers could pop near the coast. Friday and Saturday will bring much better chances for late-day storms throughout the area.
Regarding the tropical scene, the Bermuda High is in its typical mid-summer position over the central Atlantic, and we always need to keep close watch on any tropical systems forming along its southern periphery, but at least for the week ahead, it looks like anything that develops will stay weak and far out in the Atlantic. Peak of the Atlantic hurricane season begins in just a few weeks, and with the ocean waters so warm this year is predicted to eventually turn quite active.