Cooler temperatures in eastern North Carolina today and later this week come with some baggage — thunderstorms, possibly with damaging winds, are likely.
The National Weather Service forecasts call for a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms today in Beaufort County, with a 70-percent chance of thunderstorms tonight, a 60-percent chance of thunderstorms Wednesday and a 40-percent chance of thunderstorms Thursday. The forecast highs are 88 for today, 86 for Wednesday and 86 for Thursday.
“An east-west oriented frontal boundary will linger through the end of the week just to the north of the area. Several disturbances will move along the front over the next few days. The front will dissipate this weekend,” reads a synopsis about this week’s area weather from the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service issued this statement Monday: “The horrendous heat wave that has affected much of the central and eastern U.S. lately has ended for the most part, with the hot weather now being confined to the southeast states. A pattern change in the upper level flow will result in an eastern U.S. trough and a building ridge out west. A cold front slowly sinking south into the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley is bringing a return to near-normal temperatures along with much needed rainfall for many locations that have experienced 100+ degree temperatures over the past few days. The bad news is that scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are likely to develop in the vicinity of said front as it moves southward, especially during the afternoon and evening hours on Monday and Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, recovery efforts from the July 1 storm system continue in Beaufort County.
A N.C. Baptist Men’s disaster-relief team was working on Clark’s Neck Road, according to J.E. Skinner, a N.C. Baptist Men spokesman based in Williamston.
“We will be doing spot work this week. We will respond when we are called to assist,” Skinner   said.