Severe thunderstorms roll through Sandhills

Football fans and others with outdoor plans should keep an eye on the radar this evening. There is about a 30 percent chance that thunderstorms, some of them severe, could break the muggy grip of heat and humidity that dominated the day. 

"We're just looking at a couple of stray storms," said WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel.

The chance for severe weather in the Triangle is slight through Friday evening, but any storms that form could include heavy rain, damaging straight-line winds and small hail.

Friday was another scorcher with a heat index topping 103 degrees Friday under a beating sun with humidity topping 50 percent.

"We're really not going to get any relief until after sunset," said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner.

To the north and east of the Triangle, the chance is greater that the relief comes on the heels of a thunderstorm outbreak. A quick-moving disturbance will slide eastward across the state late in the day, Gardner said.

Storms are possible on Saturday afternoon as well, although the threat will shift south and east. Daytime highs will top out near 90 degrees.

Cooler temperatures will arrive Sunday, marking the beginning of another multi-day stretch of highs in the 80s.