Weather

Showers and thunderstorms will move west across the Deep South on Wednesday, bringing some relief from the heat. A high-pressure system over the Middle Atlantic and the Ohio Valley will provide another hot, humid day, with partial sunshine and generally dry conditions. In the South, one group of heavy storms will occur over Louisiana and East Texas while another batch affects the Southeast Coast. The downpours should remain too close to land to develop into a tropical depression.

Afternoon storms are expected from parts of the Ohio Valley and the lower Great Lakes to the central Appalachians, the upper Mid-Atlantic coast and southern New England. The heat wave will begin to ease in parts of the Midwest and Northeast but will continue from the central and southern Plains to the interior South.

Severe thunderstorms will develop over the north-central states. Most of the storms will occur from northwestern Wisconsin to northern and western Minnesota, before spreading southwest.

In the West, most areas can expect sunshine and continuing dry weather. A few spotty storms are projected in the afternoon over the central and southern Rockies.

FOCUS: Southern California Turns Very Hot

Hot, dry desert air is expected to cover much of Southern California late this week, with near-record highs. On Friday and Saturday, afternoon temperatures may surpass 100 degrees in Los Angeles and 110 degrees across the interior valleys.