TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The big weather story to close out the week is heat with highs in the mid 90s on both days. Today will be more humid than tomorrow, which means there is a higher chance of triple-digit heat indices today. We are also watching the risk for severe storms, mainly east of HWY 75 after 4:00 PM, so stay tuned for weather updates.

Take action:

1. The working week ends with a heat wave. Make sure you drink enough if you plan to be outside for a long time.
2. There is a risk of severe storms, especially between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM east of HWY 75. Continue to check here and on the risk maps page for updates: https://www.wibw.com/weather/risk-maps/
3. Friday afternoon/evening looks mostly dry for now, but it’s not impossible that a few areas could see showers/thunderstorms for outdoor activities such as high school football games.
4. It will rain almost all weekend somewhere in northeastern Kansas. This does not mean it will rain everywhere… there will be a lot of dry time in specific places. The latest models indicate that the chance of widespread and heavier rain is higher on Sunday than on Saturday.

Many areas have received little to no rain this month. That should change this weekend, as most if not all of Northeast Kansas will receive at least 0.25″. Areas north of I-70 are still the focus for the higher rainfall totals, where 2-3+ inches can’t be ruled out. It won’t all come at once, so flooding won’t be an issue and the overall threat of severe weather will be low, if at all. Lightning should be the only concern with any storms that do develop.

Today: A few local showers/storms before 9 AM and again after 4 PM, but otherwise mostly sunny. Highs in the low 90s in north-central KS with mid to even upper 90s for most areas. Heat indices 98-103. Winds S 5-15, gusting to 25 mph.

This evening: Isolated showers/storms mainly before 9 PM, otherwise mostly clear. Lows in the low 60s in north-central KS with mid-upper 60s for most. Winds S/NW around 5 mph.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Highs in the low-mid 90s. Wind N/E 5-10 mph. With lower humidity, heat indices should be equal to or cooler than actual temperatures for most areas.

Showers/storms will develop Friday night and continue into the weekend with dry conditions for most of next week. Depending on how much rain there is this weekend will depend on how warm it gets, but the general trend is for Sunday to be cooler with highs mostly in the 70s versus the 80s on Saturday.

Although the forecast is for next week to be officially dry, we cannot rule out the occasional shower/storm. However, as the chance of this is small and not very heavy, it will remain dry for the time being, as temperatures are close to the seasonal average for this time of year.

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