Long Island weather: Rainy Saturday before mostly dry Sunday; temps rise to low 80s next week

Long Island is forecast to have a rainy Saturday before temperatures rise into the low 80s by the middle of next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday’s high temperature will be 72 degrees. There’s a chance for rain all day, but showers are likely this afternoon when there will be a "slight chance of thunderstorms,’ according to NWS meteorologist John Murray. It also will breezy, with a west wind of 18-21 mph and gusts as high as 36 mph.

"Shower chances will remain through the day with the overall low pressure not being too far away," he said. "We have showers forecast to become likely again for this afternoon and into the early evening hours."

Sunday is expected to be mostly dry, although "a pop up shower here or there" is possible, Murray said. The high temperature will continue to float around 70 degrees on Sunday.

"Then we have a long stretch of dry weather expected for next week — Monday through early Thursday," Murray said, adding there will be a warming trend during that time.

The daytime high temperatures next week will steadily increase from 73 degrees on Monday to around 80 degrees on Wednesday, although the ocean water temperature remains in the 50s.

And the weather service has issued frequent rip current warnings for the South Shore since Memorial Day weekend, including one for "life-threatening rip currents" on Saturday.

The National Ocean Service defines rip currents as "powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water" that can sweep beachgoers away from the shore.

"If one were to get in the water, which is not recommended with how cold the temperatures are." Murray said.

"Anyone visiting the beaches should stay out of the surf" because of the high-risk of rip currents, he said.

By Sam Kmack

sam.kmack@newsday.com

Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.