Erin strengthens into a hurricane; Dangerous heat this weekend

COLUMBUS, Ga. – We are tracking storms for your Friday night football. A few of these have been strong this afternoon and are producing heavy rainfall. Rain will begin to taper off late this evening, leaving us dry for the start of the weekend.

Weekend: Isolated showers and storms are expected to return to the forecast on Saturday afternoon, and a few of these could bring heavy rainfall. Temperatures will remain in the mid-90s, with heat index readings near 105 degrees. Rain chances will decrease slightly for the end of the weekend, and afternoon temperatures will remain high.

Next Week: Rain chances will be slim for the beginning of the week. High pressure will allow our temperatures to sit in the mid to upper 90s through Wednesday afternoon. By the end of next week, we will see scattered storms return, which will cool readings once again.

Tropics: As of 11 AM, Erin has officially become a Category 1 Hurricane. Erin will likely rapidly intensity over the next 48 hours. Changes from yesterday: Erin is now expected to reach Category 4 strength early next week. While the National Hurricane Center still expects Erin to remain off the coast of the Carolinas, Erin will likely impact islands in the Caribbean.