A very warm climatological summer — perhaps a top-three warmest on record — comes to an end on Monday as we roll into September. It won’t feel like fall, though, as temperatures head back to the mid-90s as clouds and showers give way to sunnier skies.

Unsettled weather continues this weekend with plenty of moisture remaining available across the area and a front to the west, though we should start to see a downtick in rain coverage starting Sunday as high pressure begins to rebuild aloft and that front falls apart.

A front at the surface and a trough of low pressure aloft will keep things on the unsettled side heading into Friday and the weekend, with the potential for heavy rain especially Friday and Saturday.

Thursday’s weather setup will be similar to what we saw on Wednesday with scattered to numerous thunderstorms affecting some spots while the sun peeks out elsewhere. Temperatures will start in the low to mid-70s once again, warming to around 90° in the afternoon — just a smidge above normal for late August. The severe weather risk is low, but once again, a storm or two could produce gusty winds. There is also the risk for flooding given slow storm motions and potential training of rain across the same spots, so stay alert as you get out and about tomorrow.

Afternoon shower and thunderstorm coverage will gradually increase over the next few days as a trough of low pressure remains draped over the eastern third of the country and moisture return continues to improve.

Tuesday will be a lot like Monday was, it looks like, with lows in the mid-70s yielding to highs in the low 90s in the afternoon. With the persisting stationary front to our west and the afternoon seabreeze, we can expect generally scattered thunderstorms to develop once again in the afternoon. Not everyone will see a storm, but those that do could see heavy downpours and even some severe weather, with damaging wind gusts the main concern.

The week ahead will certainly not run as hot as the past two weeks have been, but that comes at the cost of afternoon thunderstorms each day, with a risk for heavy, flooding rain increasing as we get toward the second half of the week.

Saturday looks to be somewhat unsettled, particularly in the afternoon, as a cold front approaches the area from the west. We’ll start in the mid-70s, warming to the low 90s in the afternoon before thunderstorms get going. These storms will keep us out of Heat Advisory territory, with heat indices generally peaking around 101-105°, highest near the coast and in downtown Charleston. This is below the Heat Advisory criteria of 108° for two hours — the first time since August 11 we may get through a day without heat headlines! From there, expect showers and thunderstorms to get going, with periods of heavy rain and frequent lightning at times. The risk for storms should continue through the evening, diminishing as we get past sunset.

The hot pattern we have been stuck in for the better part of a week and a half finally begins to break down starting Friday, helping to temper some of the extreme heat that we’ve experienced while also allowing for more showers and thunderstorms, particularly Friday and Saturday.

Another hot day lies ahead on Thursday, but we do have some changes coming that will turn conditions a little more unsettled, which in turn will start to take the edge off this heat some.

That being said, Thursday will mark the ninth consecutive day of heat headlines of some sort, whether it be a Heat Advisory or an Extreme Heat Warning, and it’s getting very difficult to find new ways to tell you it’s going to be hot. We start Thursday in the upper 70s to low 80s once again, with air temperatures in the afternoon peaking in the mid-90s. Heat indices will once again peak between 108-112° — not as bad as it has been, but still pretty gnarly — and that’s prompted the aforementioned heat advisory for Charleston and Berkeley counties. (Looks like we’ll fall short of heat advisory criteria in Dorchester County, but it will still be quite hot to the point where you’ll want to monitor for heat illness if outdoors for an extended period.) A few of us should see some isolated to scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon along and ahead of the seabreeze. There’s not much shear and storm motions will be slow, so heavy rain will continue to be a concern, and with plenty of instability available, storms could produce frequent lightning and gusty winds in downbursts. Be ready for conditions to change on a dime if out and about.