Cool weather becomes a distant memory as the heat cranks up across Alabama this week into the weekend

Ready or not, summertime heat sets in soon with some of the hottest weather of the season so far arriving this weekend. Check the video for the latest forecast. AVERAGE FIRST DAY OF JUNE'Average' is an ugly word for most of the year. It may very well be the worst statistical way to describe what 'normal' weather is like: except in the summer. Somewhere around the end of May or early June, Alabama weather hits a stride of hot, hazy, humid days with a least some small chance of a quick downpour that lasts for months.You are here. We are there. This is it.The past two weeks of weather brought some cool comfort; the next week to ten days brings the first real wave of summer heat, but things look pretty 'average' for Thursday and Friday.Thursday starts with temperatures in the lower and middle 60s, and it gets toasty in the afternoon. The average high for June First is 86°F in Birmingham, and the average low is 65°F. That lines up well with expectations for both Thursday and Friday.You may also run into a brief shower or thunderstorm either or both days, but the vast majority of North and Central Alabama miss out on the rain in the short run.WEEKEND OUTLOOKA north wind drops the humidity on Saturday and Sunday, and it actually gets a little hotter because of it.Alabama's hottest weather usually comes with a dry north wind in the summertime because dry air (and dry ground) heats and cools more efficiently than does moist air and wet ground.We maintain a slim chance of a brief shower just because there may be enough moisture for a small, quick downpour; however, no significant rain is forecast. Expect highs back in the 90s with a nice north wind around 10 to 20 miles per hour Saturday; Sunday morning should be comfortable in the 50s and low-60s, but it gets hot again in the afternoon with some spots pushing 92-94°F by mid-afternoon under a sunny sky.The best way to keep up with the hit-or-miss thunderstorm action this time of year is with the WVTM 13 app: see our live radar and get updates when rain and storms are getting close to your location. GULF DISTURBANCE KICKS UP THE SURFThe weak low over the Gulf of Mexico stays over the water through Thursday and Friday, and it has very little chance of full development into a tropical cyclone (depression or storm) in the next two days.Red flags are flying on the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast because of a high risk of rip currents Thursday and Friday. The dangerous surf comes from the onshore flow and rough waves kicked up by the disturbance.The wind does turn to the north late Friday, and that should settle the Gulf some this weekend.The 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins Thursday, June First. CLICK TO SEE THE 7 DAY FORECAST—Stay weather awareGet the free WVTM 13 app and turn on the alerts for the latest weather updates.For the latest Birmingham weather information and central Alabama's certified most accurate forecast, watch WVTM 13 News.Current Weather ConditionsHourly Forecast | 10-Day ForecastInteractive RadarBirmingham SkycamsLive Doppler RadarSign Up For Email Weather AlertsDownload the WVTM 13 AppDon't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.