WEATHER ALERT DAY BECAUSE WE’RE TRACKING A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, MAKING THEIR WAY GENERALLY TO THE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 35MPH. AND I’M GOING TO THROW OUR DIRECTOR, ROBERT HILL, A BIT OF A CURVEBALL HERE, BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS ON THE NORTH SHORE. LET’S TAKE IT FULL SCREEN. OUR LAKEVIEW HOSPITAL CAMERA IN MANDEVILLE, BECAUSE I’VE BEEN WATCHING THIS OVER THE LAST 45 MINUTES. A LOT OF LIGHTNING. OBVIOUSLY, THINGS ARE GETTING WET. THE LIGHTNING IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR A LOT OF US. AND THERE IT IS, RIGHT ON CUE. LET’S GET RIGHT BACK TO WDSU FIRST WARNING RADAR TO SHOW YOU THAT THESE SHOWERS ARE MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 35, I SAID. BUT SOME OF THE STORMS AND SOME OF THE SHOWERS DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THIS MAIN LINE ARE ACTUALLY MOVING ALMOST DIRECTLY FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 35 TO 40MPH. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE ON THE NORTH SHORE, EVEN IN THE METRO, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO STAY IN FOR THE NEXT HOUR TO HOUR AND A HALF. EVEN THOUGH WE DON’T HAVE ANY SEVERE WEATHER SHOWING UP HERE. EVERY CELL YOU’RE LOOKING AT HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF PRODUCING A WIND GUST IN EXCESS OF 40MPH. MAYBE SOME SMALL HAIL, AND QUITE OBVIOUSLY SOME VERY HEAVY RAIN. I WAS JUST CHECKING IN WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THEY’RE CONCERNED THAT AS THIS LINE GETS INTO THE METRO AFTER ABOUT 645, 7:00, COULD HAVE SOME ISOLATED CASES OF FLASH FLOODING. SO WE’LL BE WATCHING THAT FOR THAT BETWEEN NOW AND ABOUT 830, 9:00. OUR TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 70S IN MOST LOCATIONS, A LITTLE BIT COOLER ON THE NORTH SHORE, 73 OFFICIALLY RIGHT NOW AT THE LAKEFRONT, WITH A SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WIND AT ABOUT 5 TO 10MPH. DEW POINT IS UP AT 71. A LOT OF MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE THANKS TO THAT SOUTHERLY WIND. AND EVEN THIS AFTERNOON I THINK WE’RE GOING TO GET A FEW MORE SHOWERS POPPING UP. YOU CAN SEE THIS LINE ON THE BIGGER PERSPECTIVE. WE HAVE KIND OF A COMPLEX SITUATION SHAPING UP RIGHT NOW. COLD FRONT, WELL TO THE NORTH OF US, AND ABOUT 48 HOURS AGO, 72 HOURS AGO, ESPECIALLY THE COMPUTER MODELS HAD THE COLD FRONT JUST ABOUT WHERE IT IS, AND IT HAD THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN PLACE, BUT THEY WERE ABOUT 200, 250 MILES TO THE NORTH. THIS LINE HANGING TOGETHER PRETTY WELL, DUE IN PART TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE. AND YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT HERE ON THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. NOW, THE COMPUTER MODELS ARE UNDERDOING THE RAIN JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT THEY GIVE US A GOOD IDEA ON THE TIMING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HEAVIEST RIGHT NOW IN THE NORTH SHORE. ONCE WE GET TO ABOUT 9:00, A LOT OF THE RAIN SHOULD BE WRAPPING UP. NOW. I THINK THIS LINE IS PROBABLY GOING TO HOLD TOGETHER. AND I THINK EVEN HERE BY 830, 9:00 CLOSE TO THE COAST, COULD HAVE SOME SHOWERS, ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. BUT BETWEEN NOW AND ABOUT 9:00, THAT’S WHEN THE RAIN IS GOING TO BE MOVING THROUGH. AND OBVIOUSLY, WE’RE WATCHING IT VERY CLOSELY FOR YOU NOW AS FAR AS THE AFTERNOON GOES, STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE SOME SHOWERS, ISOLATED SHOWERS WITH THUNDERSTORMS. POSSIBLY CHANCE FOR RAIN OFFICIALLY AT ABOUT 30 TO 40% THIS AFTERNOON. SO IF INDEED YOU ARE GOING TO JAZZ FEST OR CLASSIC SMALL UMBRELLA RAIN PONCHO. GOOD IDEA THAT RAIN SHOULD BE WRAPPING UP BY 8:00. AND THEN TOMORROW. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER SAYS WE’RE IN THE MARGINAL RISK. WELL, FROM THE METRO NORTHWARD TO POSSIBLY SEE ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM TOMORROW AFTERNOON. AND TOMORROW EVENING, JUST A MARGINAL RISK THOUGH. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING SHOULD BE WRAPPING UP ABOUT 9930 OR SO, 85 TO 87 FOR THE AFTERNOON. HIGH. SMALL CHANCE FOR THOSE THUNDERSTORMS TO GET A LITTLE BIT SEVERE AGAIN TOMORROW. CHANCE FOR RAIN TOMORROW. ALSO AT 40%. THEN WE’RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE HEAT. WE’RE GOING TO BE IN THE UPPER 80S MONDAY AND TUESDAY. BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, THERE’S A CHANCE WE COULD BE