Along with the heat wave that’s expected Monday, Tropical Storm Mario, which briefly died then came back to life, could hit the Bay Area late Wednesday and into Thursday. The storm might produce some dry thunderstorms and a small amount of rain that's unlikely to hit the ground.

As SFist reported, San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area are expecting 80–90 degree temperatures this week. In San Francisco, such high temperatures happen only a few days a year, when weather patterns briefly shift — calming the ocean breeze, flattening the marine layer, and reversing the wind so it blows offshore from the East Bay, per SFist.  

As SFGate reports, there’s a 15% chance that Tropical Storm Mario, which the Chronicle says is currently “steering a plume of moisture toward California,” will be adding more theatrics to the mix later in the week in the form of dry thunderstorms. Per the Chronicle, the storm died out last week and then started back up over the Pacific — just off the coast of Mexico, as the Instagram account, Rainy Day Weather, reports.

The Chronicle explains that a persistent layer of dry air near the surface will likely prevent rainfall from touching the ground. The lack of moisture could lead to lightning on Thursday and into Friday, posing wildfire risks.

Roger Gass, a Bay Area meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told SFGate his office is keeping an eye on potential fire weather concerns. “There’s a lot of variables in how these things pan out, and generally our confidence is low to moderate. But the impacts of dry lightning would be very bad for fire starts,” he said.

As a bit of consolation, the Chronicle notes that the Bay Area will be hit with mid-level cloud cover and slightly cooler temps leading up to Mario’s potential debut Wednesday night.

Image: Joe Parks/Flickr

Previously: Expect the Heat to Return to the Bay Area Monday and Tuesday