A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH has been issued until 8:00 PM Friday for parishes and counties north of I-12, including the city of Baton Rouge. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Be alert to threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes.

Scattered thunderstorms will intensify rapidly throughout the afternoon, driven by hot, humid conditions and a stalling front. The primary threat will be damaging wind gusts between 55 and 70 mph. In the most robust storms, isolated instances of quarter-sized hail up to 1 inch in diameter.

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Once thunderstorms fade overnight, dangerous summer heat will take center stage. Some late-day relief from showers may become increasingly possible later in the week.

A Heat Advisory takes over on Saturday from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM for feel-like temperatures reaching up to 112 degrees. These extreme conditions significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, making it crucial to stay hydrated, remain in air-conditioned spaces, wear lightweight clothing, and check on vulnerable neighbors. Anyone working outside should limit strenuous activity to the early morning or evening and take frequent shaded breaks, while keeping in mind that heat stroke is a medical emergency requiring an immediate 911 call.

Intense Heat Continues: no highs lower than 97 degrees over next week

Rain Relief: a few, late-day pop-up showers and thunderstorms

Quiet Atlantic Tropics: new disturbance to watch, no local threats

The Weekend: Storms will gradually quiet down after sunset as we lose the heat of the day. Expect a muggy, uncomfortable evening with temperatures only dipping into the upper 70s. Saturday and Sunday will be dominated by heat. After mornings barely below 80 degrees, afternoon temperatures will quickly soar back into the upper 90s. The heat index values, or feels-like temperatures, will easily reach between 105°F and 113°F. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible late in the afternoon, but not enough to stop the scorch.

Up Next: The dominant ridge of high pressure that has been shielding the region from organized rain and cooking temperatures will still be in control next week. However, there are some signs it may weaken just enough, with a little influx of moisture allowing some isolated showers and thunderstorms to be mentioned in an otherwise persistently hot forecast by the middle of next week.

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The Tropics: A non-tropical low-pressure system over the northeastern Atlantic, several hundred miles north-northeast of the Azores, has a low, 20 percent chance of acquiring subtropical or tropical traits over the next couple of days. The system will move east-southeastward at 10 to 15 mph toward Portugal and northwestern Spain, though unfavorable environmental conditions should shut down development by Sunday night.

A second area of low pressure is located in the central subtropical Atlantic, a few hundred miles east-southeast of Bermuda, generating disorganized showers and thunderstorms. This system also holds a low 20 percent chance of slow development over the next seven days as it drifts west-southwestward through Sunday before turning northward early next week.

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