Summer officially started at 6:07 a.m. Thursday, but it will feel more like the middle of summer all day with highs returning to the mid 90s in the afternoon. The humidity will make it feel more like 100 to 102.

Thursday is the first day in the last few days that a Heat Advisory has not been issued for central North Carolina. The National Weather Service typically issues a Heat Advisory when the heat index is forecast to be around 105 for at least a couple of hours.

Today's heat index should fall just short of that, but it is still important that anyone working outside takes frequent breaks. Everyone should also drink plenty of water to state hydrated in the hot conditions.

The heat and humidity will likely give way to more scattered storms in the afternoon. The storms should start to develop between 3 and 5 p.m. and then could continue well into the evening. Most should die down by or just after midnight.

Any storms that develop Thursday afternoon and evening could produce locally heavy downpours, frequent lightning and strong wind gusts.

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