BATON ROUGE — The Storm Station is tracking an extended stretch of hot and dry weather headed for the Capital Area, with feels-like temperatures expected to reach between 105 and 110 degrees from Thursday through at least the middle of next week.

Rain chances over the next seven days are low, with daily coverage unlikely to top 20 percent. That combination of heat and limited rainfall is raising concerns about a flash drought developing over the next one to two weeks.

A flash drought is when there's an unusually rapid onset of drought conditions due to hot temperatures and a lack of rain. This time of year, plants and soils are losing roughly an inch and a half to an inch and three quarters of moisture per week, so without rainfall to replenish that, conditions can dry out quickly.

July and August are a typical time for flash drought conditions to develop and accelerate, making the low rain coverage something to watch closely. From backyard gardens to major agriculture, irrigation may become a necessity. 

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and X for even more weather updates while you are on the go.