As befits what is, statistically at least, the hottest week of the year, forecasters say we're looking at sunny and hot summer weather all week. They're looking for highs around 90 degrees through Monday.

As they see it from here, the only weather action all week will be a small chance for showers and thunderstorms Saturday night as the high-pressure system bringing us all this heat and sunshine begins to move offshore, dragging more southern moisture in behind it. Add solar heating to all that humidity and the chances for showers rise sharply.

The high that's now centered over the eastern half of the country is clearly visible in the satellite images of water vapor over the U.S. It's that big, dark hole in the sky in these looped images.

That's what's left of Hurricane Bertha on the right. The storm, now a tropical storm, is moving away from Bermuda, but will remain a factor in the region for a while longer. Here's the latest advisory. Here's the forecast storm track. The storm, while far at sea, is having an impact on the surf along the mid-Atlantic coast. Here's a video post from Sun science writer and resident surfer-dude Chris Emery, shot at Assateague.

Just back from a long weekend in the Pacific Northwest, where they have been enjoying what natives described to me as their annual two weeks of dry, sunny weather. I think they were exaggerating. Maybe not.

It was gorgeous. Clear skies over Seattle revealed the face of Mount Rainier (left). On previous visits, folks insisted there was a big volcano on their southeastern horizon. But I never saw it. Yesterday, I did. It is impressive.

We spent a few days on Whidbey Island, just north of Seattle in Puget Sound. Under clear, sunny skies, we had beautiful vistas of the snowy Olympic range to the west, the snow-topped Cascades to the east, and an almost totally snowed-in Mount Baker to the northeast. Spotted a bald eagle in the tree above our cabin, and another (or maybe the same one) flying over the Capt. Whidbey Inn around sunset. First I'd ever seen that close.

Temperatures were in the 60s and 70s during the day, dropping to what I think were the 50s, at least, at night. It was cold enough to warrant a fire in the fireplace Saturday night. Beautiful.