UPDATE: Thunderstorm Watch Cancelled; Severe Weather Could Return Friday

UPDATE 10:55 P.M.—The severe thunderstorm watch has been cancelled. 

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We already know that August has started off with hot and muggy conditions. But are a few rumbles of thunder and rain also in store for the first day of the month?

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for much of southern Minnesota, including Dakota County and the rest of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, until 1 a.m. Thursday. Excluded from the watch are counties near Rochester in the southeast corner of the state.

For this evening, the weather service is calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which could be severe, and a low of 69.

Mostly sunny skies and a high of 89 are in the forecast for Thursday.

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, Inver Grove Heights was experiencing fair conditions and a temperature of 92 degrees. The heat index was 97.

MORE SEVERE WEATHER AHEAD?

While this evening’s weather could get bumpy, weather service forecasters already are talking about the potential of bad weather for Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.

According to the weather service’s hazardous weather outlook, there is a “good change" of severe thunderstorms during that period. 

“In fact, if the pattern holds together, it could be one of the more active severe weather days we have seen in this otherwise fairly quiet summer, in terms of severe weather,” says the outlook.

Click here for the latest National Weather Service forecast.