DELMARVA -- A pleasant Tuesday is expected across the peninsula with partly sunny skies and slightly lower humidity. Afternoon temperatures will reach the low to mid-80s inland, while communities along the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia beaches remain in the upper 70s.
Highs at the beaches upper 70s to low 80s, inland low to mid 80s, onshore winds gusting to 25 mph out of the east northeast. Isolated shower possible southern end of the peninsula.
Most of Delmarva will remain dry through the day, although an isolated shower cannot be ruled out across the lower Eastern Shore.
Conditions will begin changing Tuesday night as low pressure to the south pushes a warm front northward across the peninsula. Showers and isolated thunderstorms may develop late Tuesday night and continue into Wednesday morning. Lows in the low 70s.
Periods of rain and thunderstorms will remain possible Wednesday afternoon and evening. The atmosphere will become increasingly humid, allowing some storms to produce drenching downpours. An additional one-half inch to 1 inch of rain may fall in some locations.
Delmarva is under a marginal risk for excessive rainfall Wednesday and Thursday. Localized flooding could develop in communities that receive repeated downpours, but widespread severe weather is not expected because winds throughout the atmosphere will remain relatively weak. Highs Wednesday in the mid to upper 80s.
Marginal risk for excessive rainfall on Wednesday, heavy localized downpours are possible.
Hot and humid weather will build during the second half of the week as winds turn southwesterly. Friday and Saturday are expected to be the hottest days, with inland highs approaching the lower 90s and somewhat cooler temperatures along the coast.
High pressure off the Atlantic will funnel in heat and humidity, will feel like 100 Friday and Saturday.
Dew points could climb into the middle 70s, creating heat index values near or above 100 degrees in parts of Delmarva. While uncomfortable and potentially dangerous during extended outdoor activity, the heat is not expected to be as extreme as the early July heat wave.
Scattered thunderstorms will remain possible each afternoon and evening through the weekend. Any stronger storm could produce damaging wind gusts, frequent lightning, heavy rainfall and localized flooding, although no single day currently appears to carry an unusually high severe-weather threat.
