Temperatures dip slightly as thunderstorms pepper the region

By Jasper Craven, Globe Correspondent

We may be out of the stifling heat wave that gripped much of the state earlier in the week, but don’t expect the humid weather to disappear anytime soon. Temperatures today are dipping into the mid- to upper 80s with showers and thunderstorms peppering communities throughout the state, according to the National Weather Service.

Although the bulk of the state won’t escape 80-degree temperatures today, a sea breeze has cooled the coast, with temperatures in the upper 70s. “The 90s are gone for a while,” said meteorologist Alan Dunham. “We will get into the low 80s by the weekend.”

Today’s storm conditions are expected to be more severe than Tuesday’s precipitation. Communities could see heavy rain, wind gusts between 50 and 60 miles per hour, and small hail in the western part of the state, according to the weather service.

Tonight will see some cooling, as temperatures drop into the 60s. These somewhat cooler temperatures will continue throughout the week as a back door cold front slowly pushes its way into the state from the west.

Thursday won’t vary much from today, with showers and thunderstorms falling state-wide. Friday and the weekend won’t see much change to this muggy, rainy pattern, and temperatures shouldn’t fluctuate much out of the 80s, except for near the coast, where winds could continue to bring cooler temperatures, Dunham said.

The heavy rain expected for the rest of the week could create some urban and poor drainage area flooding, according to the Weather Service.