Bay Area weather expected to be a carbon copy of previous week

"The Bay Area began to heat up again Monday, just as the final official hours of summer ticked away. The temperature liftoff is likely to bring the hottest places into the upper 90s and the usually comfortable places into the 80s, a heat-up that will be complemented by a healthy humidity. It is not likely to last long. By Wednesday, isolated rain storms with the chance of occasional lightning and thunder is set to roll into the region, according to the National Weather Service."

"After a couple of those inclement days, overcast sky with temperatures more in keeping with the autumn which officially starts at 11:19 a.m. Monday are forecast to arrive. Sound like a carbon copy of the the previous Bay Area weather week? Yes, NWS meteorologist Roger Gass said. It's a different scenario, but it's pretty similar. The most concerning part about that forecast is what it will mean in terms of lightning, and whether any of it will be dry."

"The chances for lightning will be in the area of the Central California coast and northward, Gass said. The expectations will decrease as the system moves north. It's probably anywhere from 15-30% across the North Bay, Gass said. In the East Bay and South Bay parts of the region, the chances are less than 10% that we'll have any lightning."

Bay Area temperatures rose Monday, with the hottest locations headed into the upper 90s and many areas into the 80s accompanied by increased humidity. The warm spell is expected to be brief; isolated rain storms with occasional lightning and thunder are forecast to arrive by Wednesday. Overcast skies and cooler, more autumn-like temperatures are expected after the storms. Lightning risk is highest along the Central California coast and northward, with 15–30% chances in the North Bay and under 10% in the East and South Bay. Moisture from a southern Pacific tropical storm is influencing upper-level air. Recent rainfall totals ranged about .01 to .05 inches and similar or lesser amounts are expected, while temperatures should drop into the lower 70s in the hottest spots by Wednesday and remain through the weekend.

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