A combination of a summer high-pressure ridge and a lee-side trough helped fuel the extreme temperatures while limiting widespread rainfall.
The good news is that some relief is on the way. Isolated storm chances return Saturday, but the better opportunity for more widespread rain arrives Sunday as a cold front pushes through the Carolinas.
Any storms that develop this weekend could produce gusty winds. During the summer months, collapsing thunderstorms can mix stronger winds from higher in the atmosphere down to the surface, leading to localized wind gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour…