SAVANNAH, Ga. () — A warmer and more humid pattern is expected to stick around for this weekend into next week.

Friday brought hot and humid conditions, with several spots hitting 90° and humidity adding a heat index of 93° to 95°. Stray showers and a few storms popped up but this activity rained itself out fairly quickly.

Much of the same is expected this weekend with mild and humid mornings giving way to hot and humid afternoons. Partly cloudy skies and a 20% chance of rain are expected each afternoon.

High pressure will help keep warm and humid conditions in play into next week. A disturbance in the mid and upper levels will bring extra lift and provide for 30% or so rain chances Monday and Tuesday.

Fall officially begins at 2:19 PM on Monday, but other than cooler temperatures thanks to rain chances early next week, expect a true fall-like feel to hold off for several days. Guidance shows a strong storm system moving through the Eastern US by the second half of next week. However, a lot remains to be seen if a cold front can make it into our area.

There are no big changes in the tropics as of Friday night. A tropical wave moving off the coast of Africa has a 20% chance of developing over the next week. The Tropical Atlantic remains fairly hostile to development but if this wave works west, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle has 50 mph maximum sustained winds and continues to move to the northwest. The system is showing better organization as thunderstorms are developing around the center. Gabrielle is forecast to gradually intensify into a hurricane, and track east of Bermuda while making a turn to the north.

There are no tropical threats for the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry at this time.