A hot and humid day in the Finger Lakes will end with some scattered severe thunderstorms.
Tropical air has moved into the Finger Lakes and will bring the Finger Lakes a hot and very humid day on Sunday. For many locations, this will be the hottest day since 2013, especially considering the heat index.
High temperatures should be around 90º for most of the region. In and of itself, highs near 90º have been uncommon during this summer and last, but it is the humidity that will push today past anything we have seen in the last year or two.
With dewpoints into the 70s, the heat index should be in the mid to upper 90s for most of the region. Some locations could even hit a heat index of 100º. Especially since it has been quite some time since we have seen heat like that, caution should be exercised today.
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in the air conditioning or pool when possible, and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day. Also, please never leave a child, pet or elderly person alone in a parked car, even with the windows open- temperatures can quickly rise to dangerous levels! Also check on your friends and family without air conditioning, especially the elderly.
With all of the heat and humidity, strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible as well. An approaching cold front will help trigger some storms late this afternoon into this evening. Initially, any storms that develop will likely be individual storm cells with a strong wind and hail risk. Some of these storms may develop into small clusters, which would enhance the damaging wind potential along their path.
However, a widespread outbreak of severe weather does not seem likely, and many places may not see a storm today. The storms that do form should be quick moving, reducing the risk of flooding despite some very heavy rain.
The best chance for storms will be in the late afternoon and evening hours.
Quieter and cooler (but still warm) weather will settle in for Monday.
