Scattered rain and intense heat in Arizona on the first official day of summer

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Today, the first official day of summer, major heat returns to Phoenix, along with the possibility of rain.

We have a First Alert Weather Day with temperatures expected to climb to around 46 degrees later this afternoon. In many of the lower desert areas, highs will remain around 46 degrees as we head into the weekend.

Monsoon moisture is also slowly moving into the state, bringing an increased chance of thunderstorms in the mountains for Thursday and the weekend. A wind advisory has been issued for Eastern Arizona and Gila County. Gusts of 45 mph are possible today, starting with windy conditions this morning.

The Phoenix metro will also see an increase in the chance of storms over the next few days. The National Weather Service says isolated and scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected east of the Phoenix metro this afternoon and will continue into the evening.

Each of the next few days will have the potential for dust, gusty winds, and a storm that could move into the metro. Some of the strongest gusts would be around 45 mph later this afternoon.

There is still a chance of storms in the mountains over the weekend and the chance of activity in the deep deserts is about 30%.

Be sure to download our First Alert Weather app from the Apple or Google Play stores to stay up to date on any weather changes.

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