Western Washington Forecast: 'Hot, Dry, and Smoky'

SEATTLE — It's been a hot, windy and dangerously dry start to the week, and now the National Weather Service says: the next few days will likely be more of the same, but hotter.

Wednesday will remain both hot and dry, with highs in the upper 80s for most of western Washington.

And Thursday will be even more sweltering, as temperatures reach into the low 90s in the south sound, and inland communities.

As of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, several large wildfires continue to burn in Pierce County, one of the largest being a 50 acre wildfire in the Sumner-Bonney Lake area. Those fires, and the massive wildfires burning out in eastern Washington, are likely to continue flooding the area with hazy, smoky skies over the next few 48 hours.

That smoke has lowered air quality across the sound, and health officials are urging anyone who is sensitive to smoke to remain indoors.

To prevent further wildfires from sparking up in the dry weather, a Red Flag Warning has been put into effect for almost all of western Washington. That warning remains in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday. Until then, winds will continue to carry smoke in from the east, with a breeze ranging from 10 to 20 miles per hour, and gusts up to 25 mph. Hopefully, that's not enough to spread any of the currently-raging fires further.

Other measures to tamp down on fires remain in effect: a stage 2 burn ban has been issued for all of King County, and in Pierce County the fire marshal has announced additional, tighter restrictions on outdoor burns, banning almost all outdoor burning for the duration of the red flag warning.

However, once Thursday has passed, conditions are expected to improve. NWS models show an onshore flow pushing smoke from coastal regions, and temperatures, while still hot, will dip back into the mid-to-low 80s Friday and Saturday with overnight lows in the mid 50s.