First Alert Weather: Drying out for the start of the weekend

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - First Alert AccuTrack shows any lingering spotty showers clearing out of Central Alabama this evening. We expect a partly cloudy sky overnight with rain chances on the low side. Northwest winds will turn calm, making for a quiet start to Friday.

Mostly Dry Friday: We’ll likely start tomorrow morning off partly cloudy and dry with temperatures in the mid 60s. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a nice afternoon. We are forecasting a partly cloudy sky with only a 10-20% chance for an isolated shower or storm. The best chance for rain will likely remain in east Alabama. High temperatures are forecast to warm into the mid to upper 80s with northwest winds at 5-10 mph.

Hot Weekend: As the upper-level low moves away from us, an area of high pressure will build in from the west. It is the same area of high pressure that is producing extreme heat in parts of Texas and Mexico. We will likely see morning lows drop into the mid to upper 60s with highs in the lower 90s. It’ll end up a little muggy Saturday, but we are forecasting higher humidity levels Sunday afternoon. The heat index could climb in the triple digits Sunday and Monday. Just make sure you stay hydrated and take several breaks if you have to work outdoors.

Next Big Thing: Saturday is shaping up to be dry, but long-range models continue to show a cluster of storms forming to our north and shifting into the Southeast Sunday into Monday. Determining the timing and location of these storms remains difficult this far out in time. We have now introduced at least a 30% chance for storms on Sunday with the highest rain coverage possibly Sunday night into Monday. Storms that develop could become strong or severe. The main threat will be damaging winds and large hail. Once the storms push through the Southeast, we will likely see drier conditions develop for the middle of next week. After Monday, we will likely remain dry and hot. Temperatures next week could climb into the low to mid 90s with heat index values in the triple digits.

Tropical Update: We continue to monitor Tropical Storm Bret and now newly formed Tropical Storm Cindy. As of 10 p.m. Thursday, Bret has maximum sustained winds at 60 MPH. Bret’s overall structure continues to fluctuate indicating conditions aren’t super favorable for development. The forecast has this system eventually weakening as it moves into the Caribbean after moving across the Lesser Antilles, where it will likely produce strong winds, heavy rainfall, and possible flooding through tomorrow morning. The storm will likely weaken and fall apart as wind shear increases in the Caribbean over the weekend.

Tropical Storm Cindy formed out in the Atlantic this evening with winds sustained at 40 MPH as it moves to the west-northwest at 10-15 mph. Cindy is forecast to strengthen into a 60 MPH tropical storm over the weekend. It will likely curve just north of the Lesser Antilles and remain north of Puerto Rico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.  As it curves northwards, it will likely encounter slightly cooler water and increasing wind shear, which should help to weaken the storm. The depression isn’t expected to impact the Southeast at this time.

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