Daily briefing: Toasty temps & isolated flooding

Summer heat continues with high pressure in place. Meanwhile, a few areas will have to keep an eye out for flash floods from heavy rain. This, and our tropical update, are available at 5 a.m. ET in our daily briefing.

The WeatherRadar shows pockets of rain and thunderstorms today across the Mid-Atlantic, the high and central Plains and along the central and southern Rockies. Some of these storm clusters could bring about flash flooding, especially along the Front Range, the Arizona-New Mexico border, as well as the Mid-Atlantic coast.

As far as the rain in the Mid-Atlantic, a coastal low has been keeping things extra wet, with some spots receiving between 2 and 3 inches of rain on Monday, especially in the Outer Banks. This system will also keep things unseasonably cool, with the TemperatureRadar showing only highs in the 60s and low 70s for many in southern Virginia and North Carolina today.

Heat is what is on the menu for those in the rest of the U.S. not having cool rainfall. High pressure continues to pump 80s and 90s from the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes down to the Gulf Coast. The mid-70s and 80s will spread throughout the Northeast and northern Mid-Atlantic.

The Southwest and California's Central Valley will have 90s and triple digits, marking the warmest temperatures in the U.S. today. Highs in the Pacific Northwest will also be at least 10 degrees above average for this time of year too.

The coolest spots with 60s and 70s, other than the rainy areas of Virginia and North Carolina, will be found in the higher elevations of the Rockies.

We're technically on the other side of the average peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic, but activity could be ramping up. An area in the central Atlantic tropics has a good chance of development this week, possibly becoming our next named system, which would be Gabrielle. Another system moving off the Africa Coast will need to be watched for additional development later this week. Keep a close eye on both of these ones on the WeatherRadar as they move into a favorable environment for development.

Although it has been quiet recently, the Atlantic Hurricane Season peaks in September, and you will want to be ready. Learn more about how our hurricane alerts work here.