Breakfast Brief: Rain on the downtrend, smoke expands

While showers and thunderstorms are set to continue across the South and Southeast, frequency and coverage will be on the downtrend. Meanwhile, extreme heat grapples the northern High Plains as smoke expands across the nation.

As we head into the weekend, this soggy pattern across the South and Southeast U.S. will finally begin to break down as high pressure builds in. However, with the rain and clouds clearing out, expect temperatures to be on the rise.

The heatwave sweeping across the northern High Plains will continue its eastward march. Although widespread temperature records aren't expected today as they were earlier this week, temperatures will remain dangerously high. Many areas from the Dakotas to Oklahoma could see afternoon highs reaching over 100°F.

Nearly 100 wildfires are burning across the U.S. West Coast and southwest Canada, with the most severe in Oregon and Washington. The fires are causing extensive smoke and haze, worsening air quality in the region. Strong westerly winds carry the smoke to the East Coast, affecting air quality in cities across Delaware, New Jersey, Cape Cod, New Hampshire, New York City, and parts of Maine.

Tropical Storm Bud is active in the Eastern Pacific, moving westward with 20-25 knots winds, and is not expected to threaten land. In the next seven days, no other tropical activity is expected in the Eastern Pacific or Atlantic Oceans.

We've made a few changes to the Weather & Radar app on Android. When you delete your old home location, your current location becomes your new home location. This update is available with version 2024.15.1.