The heat is on

Offshore thunderstorm cumulus clouds play with the moon last night on Hatteras Island, North Carolina.

Hot weather is streaming north into Quebec and Ontario on this holiday Monday. Temperatures under sunny and hazy skies will reach 30 to 32C (85-90F) in Montreal and eastern Ontario as well as northern New York. It could be a record breaker today, the previous record high for Montreal was 30.6C set in 2007. The weather will remain warm for the balance of the week before a cold front drops across the region by Friday.

Meanwhile we had a spectacular weekend here on the Outer Banks. Sunshine and 80 degree weather allowed us to kayak and beach it for most of the weekend. Last night an upper level low that has been keeping inland areas of the Carolina's wet yesterday began to produce an onshore flow. The result was a thundery rain most of the overnight that has continued into this morning. Some areas along the immediate coast have reported as much as 3 inches of rain. It was a spectacular evening last night with clear, moonlit skies on Hatteras Island, but just offshore in the Atlantic towering cumulus clouds put on a vivid lightning display. Combine that with the frequent glow from the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and it was a treat for the senses.

Now our attention turns to the tropical Atlantic. Low pressure is developing over the Bahamas and is expected to move slowly northwest towards the coast. Most models are predicting it to remain offshore. The counterclockwise flow around this system, combined with high pressure over New England will produce an onshore flow. A Coastal Weather Statement is indicating a high risk of rip currents as tides and swells begin to build along area beaches today. The storm will also increase winds along the coast to 15-25mph. At this time the low pressure is expected to remain offshore with just a slight probability of actually being named. The Outer Banks can expect gusty winds and high surf with some beach erosion, but at this time ocean overwash does not look likely. Stay tuned.