Heat advisories are in effect across much of the state through Friday, and humidity is expected to make things even hotter – but improvement may be on the horizon.

A heat warning remains in effect for much of the Ohio River Valley in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, and a heat-related severe weather warning is in effect for the rest of the state.

John Peck, a meteorologist at the Charleston office of the National Weather Service, said the summer has been relatively dry and the high humidity will push the heat index, which measures how hot the weather feels, into triple digits, raising the risk of dangerous — possibly fatal — heat injuries.

“What people can do is take frequent breaks, make sure they’re drinking enough water and have a way to cool down, especially if they’re outside,” Peck said. “If you’re working outside, make sure you have a way to cool down afterward. If you don’t have a way to cool down, just take it easy.”

The Northern Panhandle is the only region of the state that is not under a heat watch or advisory. Peck said the thunderstorms that moved through the area on Wednesday helped keep temperatures down in that region.

“We had some thunderstorms up there earlier or yesterday afternoon that created cooler outflows,” he said. “It’s going to be a little cooler up there today. And the farther south you go, the drier the air is, so the humidity down there won’t be quite as high, which will lead to lower heat index values.”

Peck said a cold front expected this weekend will bring thunderstorms and possibly some relief from the heat across the rest of the state.

“As far as thunderstorms go, the main risk is some locally destructive winds, with no widespread thunderstorm threat expected,” Peck said. “Some gusty 50 to 60 mph winds could knock down some trees and cause isolated power outages, but again, we are not anticipating an outbreak of severe weather.”