The main story for the next couple days will be Hurricane Erin’s impacts on the Lowcountry. While not a direct hit — the storm will pass hundreds of miles offshore — the strong, dangerous rip currents and high surf will cause beach erosion and coastal flooding issues over the next few days.

After an uncharacteristically quiet Monday (weather-wise, anyway), Tuesday should feature a few more storms as a little energy aloft moves through and interacts with the afternoon seabreeze. Temperatures start in the mid-70s, warming to the upper 80s to around 90° before thunderstorms disrupt the temperature curve for some of us. Models do indicate some isolated heavy downpours, though with less in the way of deep moisture, the flooding threat shouldn’t be terribly high.

90° temperatures have been tough to come by so far this August. (Please note this is not necessarily a complaint.) Since August 1, only today (August 12) has been a 90° day. It’ll get a little easier to achieve the 90° mark going forward, though, as ridging aloft continues to build in. High pressure in the mid-levels helps temperatures heat up while keeping more widespread thunderstorm activity tamped down. We’ll have plenty of humidity in play, which will allow heat indices to head into the low 100s each afternoon — hot for sure, but not Heat Advisory hot, at least. And yes, there will be a chance for a few thunderstorms each day primarily along and ahead of the seabreeze (with perhaps better coverage on Friday). A couple storms could turn strong or even severe where outflow boundaries collide, and heavy rainfall is certainly a concern as well given deep moisture. However, once again, we’ve had much worse very recently, and shouldn’t have a replay of the past weekend for a bit. Just be ready to head indoors in case thunderstorms approach, and you’ll be fine.

After a rambunctious Monday that featured widespread showers and thunderstorms leading to flash flooding downtown as well as a lightning strike caught on camera in Mt. Pleasant, the weather will return to a more traditional summertime pattern beginning Tuesday as Charleston County heads back to class. Temperatures will start on the mild side, generally in the mid-to-upper 70s, warming to the upper 80s in the afternoon. Mix in the continued humidity, and it’ll feel closer to 98°. Scattered showers and storms should fire again in the afternoon along and ahead of the seabreeze, and yes, there is a risk of heavy rain with these storms, but the risk for flash flooding will be a bit lower especially as storm motions should be a bit faster.

The rest of the work week will remain unsettled as the frontal zone that’s been hanging around for several days begins to trek back toward the coast, cooling us back off a little bit but keeping showers and thunderstorms in the forecast.

We remain on the cool side of normal on Tuesday, though a few more breaks in the clouds should allow temperatures to turn warmer, with highs approaching the mid-to-upper 80s in the afternoon after starting the day in the low 70s. Periods of showers and maybe a few thunderstorms will continue to be possible, though it won’t rain all the time. Some guidance suggests storms kicking off on the seabreeze later in the afternoon, which could produce some heavy downpours considering the continued feed of moisture and energy from the southwest. Severe weather is not expected, though.

Our late-July heat wave continues for the rest of the work week, but thankfully with some afternoon and evening thunderstorms to help take the edge off a bit.

The heat wave continues on Tuesday, but we will be getting past its peak as the high pressure ridge aloft continues to migrate westward, allowing for more shower and thunderstorm activity to develop in the afternoon. We’ll still be hot enough for a Heat Advisory, with low temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s yielding to highs in the mid-90s. Mix in mid-to-upper-70s dewpoints and you get heat indices topping out around 110° or so before showers and thunderstorms develop. Guidance generally keeps things dry through about 1-2 PM before numerous storms kick off generally away from the coast. Widespread severe weather isn’t expected, but a couple storms could produce some strong winds, and there will be a risk for flooding if storms train. Remember, every thunderstorm is dangerous because of the lightning it produces, so be sure to head indoors if a storm threatens your area.

The stalled front that brought us some flooding rains and severe weather on Tuesday lingers over the next couple days before high pressure nudges in, sending rain chances down and temperatures up for Friday.

Warm and muggy conditions with a few afternoon storms continue across the Lowcountry for the rest of the work week, as we do in mid-July. Generally speaking, every day will feature very, very warm starts in the upper 70s to around 80° near the coast, with highs in the low 90s each afternoon. Highs warm as we get further along in the week with high pressure building back into the area, and we’ll turn even warmer as we head into the weekend.

Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms each afternoon along and ahead of the seabreeze. As usual this time of year, storms will be of the pulse variety (pop up, mature, collapse) and won’t produce any organized severe weather. However, where outflow boundaries from collapsing storms collide, storms could briefly turn strong to severe, with wet microbursts the most likely mode of severe weather. Regardless of severity, all thunderstorms are dangerous due to the lightning they produce. When thunder roars, go indoors!