NYC Weather: Showers Threaten Before Steamy Labor Day

NEW YORK — A potentially rainy weekend will give New York City some relief from the heat before steamy temperatures return for Labor Day, the National Weather Service predicts.

A 50 percent chance of showers will loom on Friday, accompanied by a cooler-than-normal high temperature near 76 degrees, the weather service says.

A smaller chance of rain follows on Saturday along with a high near 79, the forecast shows. Thunderstorms could potentially strike Sunday as the mercury rises to a high near 84.

The weekend cooldown will follow a sweltering week in the city that saw the heat index — how hot it feels with humidity factored in — break 100 degrees in Central Park on Tuesday.

The skies are expected to clear for a sunny Labor Day on Monday with an unseasonably hot high near 88, the weather service says. That's eight degrees warmer than normal for Sept. 3, according to the weather service.

Similarly warm temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s are expected into next week, the weather service says.

Here's a closer look at what to expect from the weather this weekend, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Friday
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 76. East wind 13 to 15 mph.

Friday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind 9 to 11 mph.

Saturday
A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. East wind around 9 mph.

Saturday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.

Labor Day (Monday)
Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.

Wednesday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86.

Wednesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.

Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 87.

(Lead image: People walk along a wet promenade in Brooklyn in July 2018. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)