FIRST ALERT: Heat wave begins Thursday — What You Need to Know

WMBF News reports that MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - The Grand Strand and Pee Dee are bracing for the hottest stretch of weather this year, with a heat wave arriving Thursday and intensifying through the weekend.

Here’s what you need to know before you head outside.

The first significant heat wave of the season will bring dangerously hot conditions to the region.

Temperatures will climb into the upper 80s to near 90 degrees at the beaches and into the middle 90s inland for the afternoon.

Combined with rapidly increasing humidity, the heat index will reach around 100 degrees this afternoon.

The heat wave will peak Friday through Sunday, marking the hottest three-day stretch of 2026 so far.