Sunny skies prevailed across the the state Friday but the sunshine as slightly muted do to the return of wildfire smoke overhead. Hazy sunshine will continue this weekend and build through all of next week.

A temperature turnaround begins this weekend. After a cool start to Saturday morning, we’ll be back into the 80s during the afternoon. The jet stream retreats north and more heat will flood the region. Sunday will be our next 90° day and the day will be followed by several days of intense heat.

Indianapolis has only eight, 90° days this year and we should have had 15 of those scorching days by now. The city has seen two days this year reach 91°. We’ll have multiple chances to beat that over the course of next week. We refer to conditions as a “heat wave” when we have three consecutive days in the 90s. While we’ve been close this summer, it hasn’t happened yet. The forecast for next week includes a streak of six consecutive days of 90° heat. Not only will the temperatures surge but the humidity will also be on the rise. Dew point temperatures in the 70s next week will lead to heat indices well above 100° at times.

After a wet start to August with almost three inches of rain, next week will mainly dry. Speaking of rain, 3 to 6 inches of rain is likely across southern California as Hilary makes landfall as a tropical storm this weekend. Friday evening the storm was a category 3 hurricane with 130 mph sustained winds. The storm will weaken as it moves across the Baja Peninsula but will bring up to 10 inches of rain to the southwestern U.S.

Saturday will be a sunny, warm day.

Temperatures will be warmer Sunday afternoon.

Temperatures will be warmer next week.

Expect near record heat next week.

Abundant rainfall this month has virtually elimnated our drought.

Tropical Storm Hilary will make landfall in southern California as a tropical storm this weekend.