Potential heat wave this week

Cold front brings thunderstorms and drops temperatures late Thursday

We hit 91 degrees as our high temperature yesterday in Providence, and it’s shaping up to be another hot one today! Highs this afternoon climb into the upper 80s and low 90s inland. If you want to beat the heat, the South Coast is the place to be today – with wind out of the south, it will be 5-10 degrees cooler along our beaches this afternoon. We’ll have lots of sunshine and a few high clouds through the day.

One thing to keep in mind today is air quality. We have an air quality alert in effect until 11pm tonight – not because of wildfire smoke like we had last week, but because of ground-level ozone. This ozone forms when heat and sunlight combine with pollution in the lower-levels of our atmosphere, and can result in some issues for folks with respiratory problems. If that sounds like you, take it easy over the next few days.

We’re forecast to hit 90 again tomorrow in Providence – if we reach 3 days in a row of temperatures 90 degrees or warmer, that would be our third official heat wave of the year. A break in the heat arrives late in the day on Thursday with a cold front, and this front will also spark off a few showers and storms Thursday afternoon/evening. Some of these could bring localized downpours and gusty winds along with them.

Have a great Tuesday!
-Tyler