Weather

A heat wave will continue Wednesday along much of the East Coast. A high-pressure system near Bermuda will pump hot and humid air north. The combination of heat, humidity, sunshine and other factors will make it feel like over 100 degrees for a few hours from Georgia to southeastern New England.

A mass of cooler air will bring showers and thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley to the central and eastern Great Lakes. Some of the storms may become severe, with damaging winds, frequent lightning strikes and flash flooding. A few storms are expected to reach parts of the central Appalachians by the evening. Cooler and less humid air will spread from the central and northern Plains to the western Great Lakes.

A few heavy storms will occur from Florida to eastern and southern Texas as a flow of tropical air continues moving into the region. Most of the West will be dry and mainly sunny. Clouds and spotty showers will dip across Washington later in the day.

FOCUS: Potential Storms in the Tropical Atlantic

Although the tropical Atlantic is tranquil now, there are signs that storms may begin to develop in the basin as the peak of hurricane season approaches. Storms may occur across the far eastern Atlantic Ocean to start September. The area from the Bahamas to the Gulf of Mexico is another to watch next week.