Friday's weather forecast: Extreme heat and scattered storms expected

Las Vegas, Nevada: Las Vegas residents should prepare for hot, sunny conditions and scattered showers and thunderstorms on Friday. Temperatures are expected to soar to about 111 degrees, close to the all-time high of 117 degrees set in 2005.

Extreme heat warning is in effect:

Heat warnings are in effect for parts of southern Nevada along the Colorado River Valley, including Lake Mead and Laughlin. The warning, which began at 10:00 a.m. Friday and lasts until 9:00 p.m. Sunday, warns residents to expect dangerously high temperatures of 112 to 118 degrees.

Weather details:

• Afternoon storm: While the day will start out mostly sunny, showers and thunderstorm activity are expected to develop in the mountains around midday and spread through the afternoon, potentially reaching the valleys.
• wind: Winds will be from the southeast with gusts up to 10 mph, with stronger gusts possible in areas of thunderstorms.
• Air quality and pollen: Good news for allergy sufferers: Clark County's air quality is currently rated “good” and pollen levels are rated “low.”

Friday night outlook:

The chance of showers will taper off after sunset, with mostly clear skies by early evening. Overnight low temperatures in the valley will drop to around 91 degrees, with west winds reaching 10 mph.

Weekends and beyond:

High pressure building to the west will intensify the weekend's high temperatures, prompting the expansion of heat warnings to cover much of southern Nevada. Temperatures are expected to reach 110 to 115 degrees, with possible higher temperatures in Death Valley. Record-breaking temperatures in Las Vegas are not out of the question, with highs recorded at 113 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.

Moisture under a high pressure system will cause scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the weekend, especially in the mountains.

Preview for next week:

A surge in humidity is expected to increase the chance of showers and storms in the region early next week. Stormy weather is likely to continue into Thursday, followed by breezy and dry conditions into next Friday. Daytime highs will remain above 110 degrees most of the week before gradually dropping to 106-107 degrees next weekend.

Keep updating:

Please check back for further updates on this evolving weather situation. Please stay safe and stay hydrated during this period of extreme heat.

Source: News3LV