Rain chances continue overnight; hot weather returns next week

BALTIMORE -- Much-needed rain continues to fall across Maryland this afternoon and will persist through the evening and overnight hours.

So far today, the heaviest rain has been across Southern Maryland and the lower Eastern Shore, where portions of Wicomico, Dorchester, and Caroline counties have received 2 to 4 inches of rainfall. Along most of the I-95 corridor, rainfall has generally been less than an inch. The lighter rain will remain near the I-95 corridor, with the heaviest rain continuing across Southern Maryland through this evening.

Clouds and showers have kept temperatures down today, with readings generally in the upper 70s to near 80. With continuing showers overnight, temperatures will only fall into the lower 70s across the region.

Expect mostly cloudy skies on Saturday, especially during the morning hours, with some lingering showers and storms to start the day. As the day progresses, we will gradually start drying out from west to east. Rain chances will likely linger into the afternoon across parts of the Eastern Shore, but we should begin drying out elsewhere, especially west of I-95.

High temperatures on Saturday afternoon will be highly dependent on how early the clouds clear out. Areas farther west will likely see the warmest temperatures with the most sunshine, with highs topping out around 90 degrees. Areas east of I-95, where rain and clouds stick around into the afternoon, will likely stay in the 80s for highs. All rain will exit the area by Saturday night with low temperatures in the 70s.

The latter part of the weekend will signal the start of a four-day stretch of very hot temperatures across the area. High pressure in the upper atmosphere will re-strengthen across the region through Wednesday, leading to a spike in temperatures. This will combine with high humidity to create dangerous heat across the region.

We've issued WJZ First Alert weather days for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for extreme heat. High temperatures during the afternoon will reach the upper 90s beginning Monday and lasting through Wednesday. In fact, Tuesday will be the worst day, with high temperatures likely reaching 100 degrees. The heat index will top out just above 105 degrees during the afternoons from Monday through Wednesday.

There will be opportunities for scattered storms each afternoon beginning Monday, but the coverage will be widely scattered and not everyone will see rain. A cold front will move into the region later Wednesday, and this is when most of the area will see the best chance for rain. Widespread showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead of the front by Wednesday evening after a very hot day. Some storms may be strong to severe, and we will be watching the potential for severe weather with the front as it moves through.

In the wake of the front on Thursday, drier weather will return to the region along with lower humidity and cooler temperatures. Highs on Thursday afternoon will be almost 15 degrees cooler than what we'll see on Wednesday. Low temperatures at night will dip back into the 60s Thursday night, with highs in the mid to upper 80s on Friday. The next chance for rain looks to move in later Friday into the weekend.