BALTIMORE – Summer returns in full force on Wednesday, bringing significant heat to the region. A WJZ First Alert Weather Day has been declared due to the extreme heat expected.

Mostly clear skies and humid weather are expected overnight, with lows between 15 and 21 degrees. Wednesday will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny, with temperatures expected to rise above 30 degrees in the afternoon. Temperatures may even reach 38 degrees in some areas. Heat index values ​​are likely to be above 38 degrees in many places, reaching highs between 40 and 42 degrees during the hottest part of the afternoon.

Late Wednesday evening and overnight, a cold front will move south from Pennsylvania. Scattered thunderstorms are expected along and ahead of this front, potentially extending into central and northern parts of the state after dark. The Storm Prediction Center has placed parts of Maryland, particularly near the Pennsylvania border, under a Level 2 Slight Risk of Severe Weather. Damaging wind gusts and hail are possible with any severe weather that develops, as well as the risk of locally heavy rainfall.

After a hot Wednesday afternoon, overnight temperatures will fall to 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold front is expected to move south through the region through Thursday morning, bringing with it a lingering chance of rain. The greatest chance of rain on Thursday will likely be south of Route 50, across southern Maryland and the lower east coast, where a few isolated thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon. Otherwise, skies will be mostly cloudy, with noticeably cooler temperatures and highs between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Even cooler weather is expected on Friday, with partly to mostly cloudy skies and highs of around 27 degrees. The front will move north again on Saturday as a warm front, increasing the chance of rain for the holiday weekend. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected on Saturday, especially in the afternoon and evening, with highs of around 27 degrees and a return to higher humidity.

Rain chances will continue through Sunday as most of the energy in the upper atmosphere moves over the Great Lakes and the Northeastern United States, maintaining an unsettled weather pattern. However, Labor Day is expected to be dry, with a mix of clouds and sunshine, lower humidity and cooler temperatures. Highs on Labor Day will be just above 80 degrees, with lows dropping to just above 50 degrees by Monday night.

The weather looks excellent for most of next week, with sunny skies and highs in the 20s forecast from Tuesday to Thursday, with lows dropping to the 10s at night – a preview of autumn weather to come.