NORTH CAROLINA — Temperatures climbed higher across North Carolina Thursday, with afternoon heat index values soaring to between 105 and 107 degrees in spots as partly to mostly sunny skies dominated most of the state, alongside a few hit-or-miss storms carrying the potential for damaging winds.
Statewide High Temperatures Climb
High temperatures reached into the 90s across the majority of North Carolina Thursday. Coastal and southeastern communities saw some of the hottest readings, with Wallace, Clinton, St. Pauls, and Fayetteville all reaching 99 degrees, while Lumberton and Whiteville followed closely at 97 and 98 degrees.
Central North Carolina also baked under the sun, with Raleigh hitting 95 degrees, Durham at 95, and Goldsboro and Kinston both reaching 96. In the western mountains, temperatures ran cooler but still warm, with Asheville at 87 degrees, Boone at 81, and Highlands at 80, reflecting the typical elevation-driven temperature spread across the region.
Isolated Storms With Damaging Wind Potential
Storm chances returned to North Carolina Thursday afternoon and evening, though overall coverage was expected to be lower than in previous days. Despite the reduced coverage, forecasters caution that a few hit-or-miss storms remained possible, and a stronger-to-severe risk with damaging winds could not be ruled out in isolated locations.
Early morning fog was also possible in some areas before skies cleared into a mostly sunny pattern for the bulk of Thursday, with winds generally out of the southwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour statewide.
Storms Expected to Increase Into the Weekend
Forecasters indicate that storm activity across North Carolina will ramp back up heading into the weekend, following Thursday’s relatively quieter, more isolated pattern. Residents should continue monitoring updated forecasts as coverage and intensity are expected to increase in the coming days, particularly given the potential for damaging wind gusts with any stronger cells that develop…