Summer-like heat continues Wednesday with small chance for showers

Wednesday will feature more temperatures in the 80s with a low chance of a shower in the afternoon.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Apr 1 — Updated 3:28 p.m. Today

WRAL Severe Weather Center

RALEIGH, N.C. — We have another hot day in store!

Temperatures will climb into the 80s by lunchtime. We may see a few light showers in the afternoon, but chances are low.

Wednesday: A chance for showers during the day. High of 84.
Thursday: Sunshine and clouds mixed. Highs in the upper 80s.
Friday: Partly cloudy skies. High of 89.

Unseasonably warm days ahead, April 30 through May 4.

80s here to stay for a while

We'll see temperatures in the 80s for the rest of the week. It'll be a great week to get outside!

On Wednesday, there will be increasing clouds with a 20% chance for scattered showers and storms in the afternoon.

Thursday and Friday will be the clearest days of the week. Friday's high will be around 89 degrees.

Weekend outlook, Friday, May 3, through Sunday, May 5.

Showers in store this weekend

We will see more showers and storms over the weekend, with strong chance for storms Saturday and Sunday.

"We will see afternoon and evening storms each day," WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. "It may be that we see more of an all day rain Sunday, but we are waiting on the high resolution models later in the week for fine tuning."

Futurecast for 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

With all this warm weather, the flowers and trees are blooming – meaning pollen counts are high. If you're sneezing, spring allergies could be to blame.

As of April 29, Rainfall stats for our area are down from normal levels. RDU is in a 2.29" deficit for April while Fayetteville is in a deficit of a little over an inch.

Both Raleigh and Fayetteville are in rainfall deficits for April.

7-day forecast for central NC

Wednesday: A chance for showers during the day. High of 84.
Thursday: Sunshine and clouds mixed. Highs in the upper 80s.
Friday: Partly cloudy skies. High of 89.
Saturday: Isolated showers and storms possible. High of 83.
Sunday: 40% chance for rain and storms. Highs in the low 80s.
Monday: Partly cloudy skies and hotter. Highs in the mid 80s.
Tuesday: Small chances for showers in the afternoon and evening. High of 89.

Prepare for a busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will see 15 to 20 named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.

The number of named storms is significantly higher than the long-term average and moderately higher than recent 30-year averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State.

In 2024, NC State researchers predict:

15-20 named storms
10 to 12 may grow strong enough to become hurricanes (the historical average is six)
Three to four becoming major hurricanes

NC State researchers predict active Atlantic hurricane season with 15-20 named storms

Meanwhile, forecasters at Colorado State University are calling for 24 named storms in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. That is higher than the average year, when 14 storms earn a name.

CSU forecasters say 11 storms will reach hurricane strength, up from the average of seven, and five of those hurricanes could be "major," that is Category 3, 4 or 5, with winds over 111 mph.