As of Sunday, June 28th, the Waco airport has hit 100 degrees or higher 13 times and has hit the century mark 9 straight days. For Temple, we have seen 8 days at or above 100 degrees and 7 straight days of triple digit  heat. We are definitely on pace for the hottest summer on record. However, it looks like we will get a break from the 100 degree heat as a weak cold front moves in on Monday. To be honest, there is not much difference between upper 90s and low 100s. It will still be very warm! The front also promises to bring us a few scattered storms but they will be hit or miss, so not everyone will see the rain. We sure could use it because more counties are being added to the burn ban map. Plus, with the fourth of July next week, things could turn dangerous with fireworks and dry grass. I encourage you to be careful if you plan to shoot fireworks this year. We will have more on the fourth of July forecast as we go through the week. –First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

With morning low temperatures in the upper 70s and afternoon heat index values over 105, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for most of Central Texas until Saturday evening. Only our far western counties, from San Saba to Meridian, are not under the heat advisory. The criteria for a Heat Advisory is an overnight low temp of 78 or higher and afternoon heat index values over 105. We cannot stress enough to be careful if you work outside or plan to be outdoors for extended periods of time. Here are the summer heat tips:

• Drinks lots of water
• Wear sun screen
• Wear light colored clothing
• Take frequent breaks
• Make sure kids and elderly stay cool
• And do not forget about your pets. Make sure they have ways to stay cool.

As of Thursday, we have had 9 days at or above 100 degrees and that number will be going up through the weekend. The hottest day was Wednesday, June 24th, where the Waco airport hit 106, breaking the record high for the day. On that same day, the temperature hit 101 at noon! We are afraid this summer could rival the summer of 1980 which was the hottest on record. What do you think? Is this year’s summer hotter than it was in 1980? Leave a comment or let us know via Twitter at twitter.com/FirstAlert25WX. — First Alert Meteorologist Conley Isom

The National Weather Service has designated the week of June 21st through the 27th as Lightning Safety Awareness Week. Lightning is a dangerous part of a thunderstorm and Texas ranks second, behind Florida, in the number of people killed by lightning. Here are some tips to keep in mind with lightning around your area:

• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to get struck by lightning.
• Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from a storm.
• When storms move in, you want to move indoors and stay away from windows and electrical devices.
• Inside a car is safe, just do not touch anything metal.
• If caught outside, stay away from trees and other tall objects. Keep yourself low and try to find shelter.

When I give weather talks, I like to tell everyone my lightning story. When I was in college, I went to play a round of golf. Knowing there was a chance of storms, I went anyways, which I should of known better. About 5 holes into the round, sure enough, storms were coming up from the south. So my friends and I headed to the club house. We then sat on the back patio and watched the storms. Suddenly, the overhead speaker started to static and then a bolt of lightning struck the course, not more than 100 yards away and exactly in the spot we were in 5 minutes ago. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the flash and heard the thunder. We were lucky but all you have to do is be smart when outdoors and storms threaten. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

Click here for more information on Lightning Safety Week.

On Saturday, June 13th, the official observing station at the Waco airport hit 100 degrees, making it the first 100 degree day. (CORRECTION: AFTER POSTING, THE OFFICIAL HIGH TEMP WAS 101 DEGREES!) Technically, it is not summer yet. That happens next Saturday, June 21st. However, mother nature decided to bring summer early with a strong upper level high pressure system that will keep us dry and hot for the next 7-10 days. We have not seen much rain across the region in the past couple of months so I have a feeling this is only the beginning of a long and hot summer! — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

After tracking severe weather on Wednesday night, we got the chance to chase more severe weather the next night. This time around, storm began developing earlier in the afternoon to our west near Brownwood. The air was very unstable with lots of energy so we knew these storms would be big.

3:00 PM: Loaded up the chase van and head northwest up Hwy 6 to Clifton. The storms were starting to take more of a southeast turn so I headed more southwest to Hamilton. As I got closer to the storm, it was hard to see the structure because of the hazy conditions. Once I made it to Hamilton, I headed south on US 281 to Evant.

5:00 PM: Traveled a few miles south of Evant on US 281 and found a spot on top of a hill to pull over and watch the storm. As it got closer, I could see what it looked like. The storm was a classic mesocyclone, which is what we call a rotating thunderstorm. It basically looked like a giant space ship. The problem was the amount of rain falling from the storm. We call this an HP super cell, HP standing for high precipitation. This can hide a wall cloud and a tornado which makes it difficult to storm chase. It had lots of mid level rotation but no tornadoes were reported as it moved southeast. The lightning was very intense and as many folks saw, the puffy mammatus clouds were everywhere on the north side. As the storm got closer, I continued south towards Lampasas.

6:30 PM: Once I got into Lampasas, I headed east on US 190 a few miles past the Walmart. This would put me right in the path of the storm so I could report on it. The rain and wind picked up, followed by pea size hail. I drove a little farther east and then the hail got bigger and more frequent. The largest I saw was golf ball which is still big enough to cause dents and dings. Reports of flooding from Lampasas were coming in so I head back towards town. As I headed back towards the middle of town, water was rapidly flowing over every intersection. Local officials were blocking off the roads. The storm start to intensify and a tornado was spotted near Burnet so I headed south on US 183 to try and catch up with the storm.

7:45 PM: Since I was on the back side of the storm, it was basically impossible for me to catch up to it and get in front. And since the tornado, if there was one, would be rain wrapped, it would be too unsafe. So I followed behind and reported on numerous trees that were blown down and few transformers that were sparking. I ran into a little hail outside of Georgetown but as the storm headed towards Austin and out of our viewing area, I got on I-35 and headed back to the station.

Overall, this was one of the most successful storm chases we have had. Luckily, the storm stay away from Waco/Temple/Killeen because it was bad in some spots. Thanks to everyone who sent in photos and reports during the event and be looking for us next severe weather strikes! — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

From Twitter user lalahargrove

On Thursday, many folks saw clouds like the picture above as storms passed west of Waco/Temple/Killeen. Thanks to everyone who emailed us their photos. Many of them look awesome! So what kind of cloud is it? They are called Mammatus clouds and are associated with strong thunderstorms. They form underneath the anvil part of a thunderstorm as a result of sinking air. I think the best description we received from one of our viewers was that it looked like lumpy whip cream! That made me laugh. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

Thanks to everyone who emailed us photos! If you have storm pics, email them to us at weatherpics@kxxv.com. Below are a few we want to share…

We now have a Tornado Watch in effect for the western and southern half of Central Texas, including the Temple and Killeen area. The air has become very unstable over this region and storms will continue to develop through the afternoon. As we track these storms, stay with KXXV for the latest severe weather information. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

We still have a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect until 6 PM for areas north and east of Waco. However, the air has become very unstable over our western counties, or west of I-35, and we may see storms explode in this area in the next few hours. Latest word from the Severe Prediction Center is that a new watch will more than likely be issued shortly. The main threats will be large hail, gusty winds, lightning, and isolated tornadoes. Once these storms develop, they will be move across all of Central Texas through the evening hours. Stay tuned to KXXV for the latest weather information! — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom

We now have a new Severe Thunderstorm Watch for parts of Central Texas until 6 PM. It includes Waco and points north, east, and southeast towards the Brazos Valley. Large hail, gusty winds, and lightning are the main threats. Storms are on going across the Dallas/Fort Worth area this morning, and more are expected to develop by this afternoon and push south into our area. We will track the situation closely and will have more updates through the day.

Remember, you can check the latest radar imagery on kxxv.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/FirstAlert25WX. On TV, check out our 24/7 weather channel, Weather Now, on digital channel 25.3 or Time Warner cable channel 11. — First Alert 25 Meteorologist Conley Isom