Okay, I know that on the calendar, fall doesn't begin until late September. But, did you know that meteorologists consider the end of August...the end of summer?

It will sure feel like summer for part of this week. The Triple "H" Threat...is back! After a cozy weekend, our highs go back Monday and Tuesday in the middle nineties. With the added humidity, it will feel more like 100. Take is easy if you're working outside.

Some relief is on the way...a cold front will come through Tuesday night into Wednesday. There have been weather model inconsistencies in the timing of this front (one of the headaches we have to face while forecasting). Over the last few days, those models would speed it up...and the next minute slow it down. It really looks like our best chances for thunderstorms will be Tuesday night in NE KS/NW Missouri. By Wednesday, we all have a chance for picking up rain. There might be a few severe thunderstorms - still a little early to determine the extent of this possibility. Thursday morning a few showers could be leftover as the temperature drops (Remember how nice it was Saturday - that's coming back!). Hopefully, the areas in desperate need of rain (like Eudora, Kansas) will get some this week.

Through the holiday weekend - temperatures return to the upper 80s to near 90. Feel free to enjoy the last days of summer before they pass you by!

The 2007 hurricane season was off to a slow start...until now. Just this week alone, one hurricane in the Pacific - a tropical storm in the Gulf - and another hurricane in the Atlantic.

I've always wanted to visit Hawaii, but not this week (okay, maybe on a Hurricane Hunter Aircraft). Hurricane Flossie came very close to the Big Island. Although the island was spared for the most part, Flossie kicked up 25-30 foot waves and dropped several inches of rain. Wind speeds were clocked around 40 to 50 MPH. Those winds were pretty strong considering this hurricane traveled 100 miles south of the Big Island!

Tropical Storm Erin in the Gulf has an interesting story to tell...several days ago it all started with a complex of storms in the warm water of the Gulf. These storms looked very organized and before you knew it - we had another Tropical Storm on the books. Erin came ashore around 7AM Thursday morning about 25 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Had it stayed in the Gulf longer, it could have been stronger. This system will be an issue for us this weekend. As I write this, Tropical Storm Erin has been downgraded to a Tropical Depression. Over the next couple of days, the remnants of this storm will move through northern Texas, Oklahoma and finally, both Kansas and Missouri. You can count on increasing rain chances later this weekend for sure.

Last, but certainly not least, is Hurricane Dean. A gal I know is heading to a resort town in Mexico within the next week or two. She might encounter the aftermath of this huge storm. This is the first hurricane of the season and there's no sign of it weakening just yet. Dean has already torn through St. Lucia and Martinique in the Caribbean. The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center at 8AM says winds are near 100 MPH - a Category 2 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale - and some strengthening is expected in the next 24 hours. The NHC's website is pretty interesting if you've never checked it out (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/). Dean is on a track to the west at 23 MPH...you could say it's moving at a pretty good rate of speed! And if the current weather computer models verify, then this hurricane will make a path straight for the Texas/Mexico border. It will then follow a similar path as Tropical Storm Erin to the north...which means grab the umbrella, more days of rain expected!

Hard to believe that we've made it to August...the year keeps flying by at a fast pace. Pretty soon the kids will head back to school. I remember those first days - sitting in a classroom with the air conditioner humming - all while it's 100-plus degrees outside! Made me jealous of the East Coasters who didn't start until after Labor Day.

It's been an usual summer thus far. The hottest temperature we've seen at KCI is 93. Can you believe that the average temperature for the month of July was about 2 degrees cooler than normal? That's right! Normal highs for July are around 89. We averaged 87.1 degrees this year.

July tells some "hot" tales from the past. Go back to July 13, 1954...the high temperature was 112!!! Hearing of highs like that sure makes you appreciate the air conditioning in your car.

The weather models show temperatures heating up this weekend - the hottest we've seen. Get ready to see the outdoor thermometer in the mid-90s. However, when you factor in the humidity, it will feel like it's in the upper 90s to the lower 100s. Take it easy this weekend and drink plenty of water. Maybe take a dip at Stockton or Truman Lake? Sounds good to me, especially with a balmy water temp in the lower 80s!