Daily briefing: Stormy Midwest today

The risk of dangerous storms shift eastward today, with today's storm threat stretching from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes. The West stays hot with summer temperatures also creeping into more of the East. The Weather & Radar daily briefing is published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET with the latest U.S. forecast and updated tropical information.

A wave of dangerous storms will roll across the central U.S. today. The WeatherRadar shows dangerous storms developing this afternoon throughout the central Plains, central Mississippi Valley, Midwest and Great Lakes. These storms will be capable of dangerous lightning and damaging winds, so make sure alerts are activated to get the latest on today's storm threats.

Showers and thunderstorms are also likely across the Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast early today, but a few breaks of sunshine will develop before second batches of thunderstorms will be possible. Afternoon thunderstorms are also on menu across Gulf Coast, Southeast and Florida too.

Most of the U.S.'s western half from the high Plains to the Pacific will be filled with sunshine today. The exception is the Northwest, where showers and clouds will keep it cool. A bit of a breeze, as seen on WindRadar, will add to the chill there with highs only in the 60s.

The TemperatureRadar shows the sun-filled West being in the 80s and 90s, with more triple digits in Las Vegas, Phoenix and the rest of the Desert Southwest.

The Atlantic Hurricane Basin remains quiet, but Hurricane Erick in the eastern Pacific, is making a beeline for the Mexico Coast.

Landfall will occur tonight or early Thursday along Mexico's rugged Pacific Coastline. High winds, dangerous surf and flooding downpours are expected.