Hot and muggy weather will continue for several more days in the Lawrence area, according to the National Weather Service, but a cool front could bring some relief at the end of next week.

On Sunday and Monday, highs should be in the low 90s, said Brandon Drake, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Topeka. That’s close to normal daytime highs for late July, but high humidity will keep the heat index near 100, and Drake said daytime temperatures were likely to climb into the low triple-digits by midweek. The heat index on Wednesday could top out at 110 or more, Drake said.

The weather service’s forecast calls for some clouds and a chance of showers and storms during the heat wave.

“There may be some shade from clouds, so that would be welcome,” Drake said.

Lawrence is currently in a moderate drought, Drake said, because the rainfall totals recorded at the Lawrence airport for the year are about 3.7 inches less than normal. However, 4.02 inches of rain have been recorded at the airport in July, which is about half an inch above normal for the month, he said.

“That’s just a little more than normal,” Drake said. “It’s not really blowing it out of the water. Parts of central and southeast Kansas are in severe drought.”

At the end of the week, the weather could shift with the arrival of a cool front, Drake said. It could bring daytime highs as low as the upper 80s.

“As it is now, the cool front is forecast to get here late Thursday and Friday,” he said. “Hopefully it does. I would like to see it get here sooner.”