The hottest air of the summer blasts Alabama next week with 100-degree heat.

Full sunshine and hot weather set in for the weekend. Temperatures climb to the lower and middle 90s Saturday and Sunday, but it gets much hotter next week. Check the video forecast for the latest.HOT, DRY WEEKENDA major heat wave begins to show some muscle over the weekend, but the weather stays tolerable in Central Alabama on Saturday and Sunday. Yes, it will be hot. Yes, the humidity creeps up slightly. Yes, it will get a lot hotter next week.Expect a comfortable, dry Saturday morning in the upper 60s. A fully sunny sky works on the drying ground for a few hours, and temperatures jump to near 90°F by lunchtime and into the lower and middle 90s between 1 PM and 5 PM Saturday. We see no chance of rain – at all – for Saturday.Sunday looks similar: morning lows around 70°F, full sun, and a little more sting to the afternoon heat with a high near 95°FTURN IT UP: SCORCHING HEAT WAVE DEVELOPSThe heat wave building over the Central and Eastern United States through next week brings some of the highest temperatures of the summer to Alabama. An unusually strong summertime ridge forces the jet stream north to Canada and leaves us high and dry.It begins this weekend as temperatures jump to the mid-90s under a sunny sky on Saturday and Sunday (no chance of rain), and it keeps getting hotter into the first half of next week.How dry? Most of North and Central Alabama has above-average soil moisture as of Aug. 18. It is possible that it will not rain again in August for many communities in Central Alabama unless some tropical influence can break through the barrier of a ridge over the continent.Hot summer sunshine, no rain, and higher-than-usual temperatures serve to dry things out quickly: to the point of needing to water lawns and gardens by the weekend to maintain moisture levels. How hot?Late August to September is often the hottest stretch of the year because similar patterns (ridges) often happen this time of year.As of now, we do not expect any record-setting heat. Daytime highs likely top out in the upper 90s (few 100s) from Sunday to next Wednesday, and limited moisture means little hope of any healthy soaking downpours. The drier it gets, the hotter it will get. TROPICAL UPDATEThe tropical Atlantic quieted down about three weeks ago, but it will get active again soon. Two waves in the far eastern Atlantic have medium potential for development in the next week, and the National Hurricane Center outlooks a low risk of a tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico next week.It is too soon to know specifics on this, but it does not look like a major risk to the Alabama or Northwest Florida Gulf Coast through the middle of next week. If you have interests down that way, pay attention to any necessary changes to the forecast.CLICK TO SEE THE 7-DAY FORECASTSTAY WEATHER AWARE 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.