Sweltering temps move into the Triangle before triple digit weekend

Heat currently building in the Midwest is expected to increase as it moves east, and temperatures are expected to increase during the day Wednesday.

Moss said Wednesday begins with clear skies and a small possibility of isolated showers this afternoon.

"A fair amount of the area will go without rain, but we certainly can't rule out a couple of little pockets," Moss said.

Parts of the viewing area are running about 3-8 degrees cooler than yesterday morning at the same time, so it's a fairly mild start to the day.

But with a decent amount of sun, combined with showers and hit and miss storms, temperatures will climb into the low and mid 90s later this afternoon.

"We will be rounding triple digits later in the week, so we will watch that very closely," Moss said. "Our high later today should be the upper 90 degrees, and it will be even hotter towards the weekend."

Temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday should stay upper 90s, but by Friday, temperatures will hit triple digits.

"On Thursday and Friday, we have about a 10 percent chance of rain," Moss said. "But again, the majority of the area will remain dry."

Friday’s forecast high temperature is 100 degrees, while Saturday will climb to 101 degrees.

Both days will come close to tying the record high temperature of 102, set for both dates in 2011.

“We’re talking about some deadly heat possible here if we get into triple digits."

On top of the already high temperatures, the heat index could make temperatures feel as hot as 113 degrees over the weekend.

The last 100-degree day recorded at RDU was on June 16, 2015. Temperatures at the airport reached their all-time record high of 105 in July 1925 and again in July 2012.

"We'll hit the 100s by this weekend, and with the heat index, it's going to feel even hotter," Moss said.