James Spann has the midweek forecast for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

THE HEAT IS ON: July in Alabama means heat, humidity and random storms during the afternoon and evening. That will be the situation through Friday with highs mostly in the mid 90s. The average high for Birmingham on July 6 is 91.

Due to the high humidity levels, a heat advisory is in effect for about the northern two-thirds of Alabama today — this is where the heat index could reach 105 — and an excessive heat warning in effect for Lauderdale, Colbert, Limestone and Madison counties in the Tennessee Valley, where the heat index could touch 110.

Scattered showers and storms will fire up during the heat of the day, mostly between 2 and 10 p.m. Odds of any one spot seeing rain are 25-35%; it’s mostly a matter of luck whether you see a cooling shower.

THE WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEK: Evidence the upper high will shift a little to the west, meaning heat levels will be a tad lower and coverage of afternoon storms a bit higher, but the overall pattern won’t change much. We’ll have partly sunny days with random, scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoons and evenings. Highs will be mostly in the low 90s.TROPICS: All remains calm across the Atlantic basin, and tropical storm formation is not expected for at least the next seven days. The next named storm will be called Danielle.

ON THIS DATE IN 1893: A violent tornado killed 71 people on its 40-mile track across northwestern Iowa. Forty-nine people were killed around Pomeroy, where 80% of the buildings were destroyed.

ON THIS DATE IN 1928: A hailstone weighing 1.5 pounds fell in Potter, Nebraska. With a circumference of 17 inches, this appeared to be the largest hailstone in the world at that time.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.