Breakfast Brief: West heat intensifies into the holidays, storms may dampen holiday preparations

The heat will start cranking up across the West, with several locations in interior California reaching the 115 to 120-degree mark by Independence Day. Meanwhile, Major Hurricane Beryl is nearing Jamaica, and storms are putting pressure on the preparations for the July 4th celebration.

Temperatures will continue to rise across the West today as a heat wave intensifies. Central California will see highs in the upper 100s, while the Desert Southwest could reach the 110s. Due to the heat, outdoor Independence Day events may need to be suspended. Isolated areas in Central California might hit 115°F, and low-lying desert valleys in the Southwest could reach the lower 120s. This heatwave is expected to persist through the weekend and expand north into the Pacific Northwest by week's end.

A cold front draped across the eastern U.S. will spark scattered showers and thunderstorms from the Central Mississippi River through the Ohio Valley. Some storms may become severe. Another focus area for strong storms exists across the North and Central Plains as a separate storm system exits the Rockies. Both systems may hamper some Independence Day preparations.

Major Hurricane Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane to form in the Atlantic Basin in recorded history after briefly reaching an intensity of 165 miles per hour. While some gradual weakening has occurred due to a combination of unfavorable conditions and structural changes in the storm, it will continue to track west, nearing Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Beryl is expected to bring significant impacts across Jamaica, with hurricane-force winds and four to eight inches of rainfall. Some local rainfall totals could be as high as 24 inches, and storm surges could raise water levels by as much as five to eight feet along the country's coast.

Beryl is forecast to maintain its hurricane status until it reaches the Yucatan Peninsula by Friday. After that, our attention will shift to the western Gulf of Mexico. Residents along the western Gulf coast should closely monitor Beryl's progression, as the exact track of the storm remains uncertain.

Holiday travel ramps up this week, with AAA estimating over 70 million people traveling for Independence Day. Ensure you have the right tools to track the weather on your trip. If you have Android Auto, look for Weather & Radar USA on your car's center console screen! Here's how it works.