Thunderstorms likely over, heat here to stay

Merced residents likely saw the first and last thunder and lightning shows for the week Wednesday, but the Fourth of July weekend will continue to be hot, the National Weather Service in Hanford reported.

Though Merced received showers Wednesday evening, they were light, said William Peterson, a meteorologist technician at the weather service. About 0.12 inches of rain was recorded in northeast Merced. The Merced Regional Airport received traces of rain, he said.

The National Weather Service received a handful of reports of fires started by lightning strikes. One of them occurred in Chowchilla, just north of Highway 152, off Robertson Boulevard. A house there caught fire after being struck by lightning, Peterson said.

Wednesday’s heightened storm activity was matched on the thermometer – the high was 100.

Thursday’s high was set at 99. Temperatures for the Fourth of July weekend are expected to reach the upper 90s. Friday is forecast at 98, as well as Saturday.

The chances for more rain are expected to dwindle as a ridge of high pressure over the Valley expands. The humidity likely will drop, with slight cloud cover lingering from the storm. The Valley may see more storm activity during the hottest parts of the days, but meteorologists won’t know exactly when or where until the storms start forming, Peterson said.

This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Thunderstorms likely over, heat here to stay."