Summer chugs ahead, Erin draws closer to Carolinas

Monday marked four-straight days in the 90s for the Charlotte Metro, but clouds and northeasterly winds will likely cut the streak short this Tuesday afternoon. That said, don’t expect any meaningful cooldown for now as highs manage to reach into the mid-to-upper 80s across the Piedmont and Foothills; areas south and east of the Queen City that see more sunshine could still end up above 90°. The hot times continues into Thursday before a cold front brings significant relief from the heat Friday into the weekend. We won’t see much in terms of rain chances over the next 48 hours, but scattered showers and storms return to the forecast on Thursday, likely lingering through the weekend. Highs will end up near 80° around the Metro on Friday and Saturday.

Hurricane Erin continues to fluctuate in terms of strength this Tuesday morning as it curves away from the Bahamas, but is only growing larger on its journey north. As of 5 am, Erin is a major Category 3 hurricane with core winds approaching 120 mph. Erin will remain at least 250 miles east of the Carolina coastline at all times as it curves out to sea, but beachgoers will have to watch out for dangerous surf and rip currents over the coming days; it’s best to stay out of the water this week. Furthermore, models continue to trend Erin westward, which could lead to a few outer bands of the storm buffeting eastern North Carolina, particularly the Outer Banks, on Wednesday as it makes its closest approach to the East Coast. Erin will eventually turn northeast and weaken further as it moves away from the Carolinas by the end of the week.

Today: AM cloudy. PM clearing with a stray storm. High: 86°. Wind: NE 5-15.

Tonight: Variable clouds. Mild and muggy. Low: 72°. Wind: NE 5-10.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Hot. High: 90°. Wind: NE 5-15.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Low: 72°. Wind: NE 5-10.

Thursday: Another hot and sunny day with a stray PM storm. High: 88°. Wind: NE 5-15.