Thunderstorms, more heat due over region

Thunderstorms are possible across the region through this evening before a new round of summer heat arrives for Tuesday through Thursday. National Weather Service forecasters said scattered thunderstorms with gusty winds are possible starting this afternoon and extending through 11 p.m. Southwest winds of 11 mph may kick up dust today from the outflow from the storms. Wind gusts could go to 41 mph. Spokane has a 20 percent chance of isolated thunderstorms this afternoon, increasing to a 50 percent chance this evening. Thunderstorms are already showing up on radar images in southeast Washington. The weather service has posted a red flag fire warning for extreme Eastern Washington and all of North Idaho and western Montana. Areas to the south and southwest are included in the red-flag warnings. Unstable conditions and thunderstorms may linger over the mountains on Tuesday and Wednesday. The unstable weather will be followed by extreme heat on Tuesday through Thursday with high temperatures reaching the upper 90s to triple-digit heat in Spokane and to the middle and upper 90s in Coeur d’Alene. Cooler weather and showers are expected from a cold front arriving Thursday afternoon, setting the stage for potential thunderstorms and dangerous fire conditions into Friday. Highs will drop back to the upper 70s to about 80 on Friday and Saturday and then warming to the middle 80s by Sunday.