James Spann forecasts a hot day for Alabama with some showers from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

RADAR CHECK: We have a band of scattered showers and thunderstorms on radar early this morning across central Alabama, generally south of I-20. This is along a surface front pushing into the state from the north; by midday the best chance of scattered storms will be over the southern half of the state. For north and central Alabama, the afternoon will be mostly sunny and hot, but with lower humidity levels. Highs today will be between 94 and 99 degrees for most communities.

Tuesday will be hot and mostly dry, with a high between 95 and 100 degrees. The chance of any one spot seeing a cooling shower is 10% or less.

On Wednesday, scattered showers and storms are possible statewide as the air becomes more unstable and moisture levels rise. We can’t promise rain for everyone, however; the chance of any one community seeing rain is 40-50%. Otherwise, expect a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the mid 90s.

THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Pretty routine summer weather is the story for the end of the week and the weekend. That means partly sunny, hot, humid days with a few random, scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and storms possible. Highs will be in the mid 90s on most days. The chance of your front yard seeing rain is 20-30% Friday and Saturday, and 30-40% Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: Highs will be in the 90s, lows in the 70s. Days will be partly sunny with the risk of a pop-up afternoon shower or storm in scattered spots.

TROPICS: All is quiet across the Atlantic basin, and tropical storm formation is not expected for at least the next seven days.

RAIN UPDATE: Here are rain totals for the year so far, and the departure from average:

• Montgomery — 35.08 inches (9.45 inches above average)
• Mobile — 32.57 (0.9 above average)
• Muscle Shoals — 31.94 (4.12 above average)
• Huntsville — 31.07 (3.03 above average)
• Dothan — 28.03 (2.21 above average)
• Tuscaloosa — 26.27 (1.04 inches below average)
• Anniston — 26.01 (1.37 below average)
• Birmingham — 24.14 (5.1 below average)

ON THIS DATE IN 1975: An Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 crashed at JFK airport in New York City, killing 113 of the 124 people on board the aircraft. Researcher Theodore Fujita studied the incident and discovered that a microburst caused the crash. His research led to improved air safety. The tower never experienced the microburst, which was held back by a sea-breeze front. The plane crashed 2,400 feet short of the runway.

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