Very hot Monday with triple digit heat and potential new record highs

Get ready for a hot week ahead with upper 90s and lower 100s over the next few days across the lower elevations. Even the mountains will be hot with 80s to near 90 degrees in many areas. You'll have to climb to 10,000 feet and higher to find anything cooler.

The hot weather is due to a ridge of high pressure sitting over the region. It'll be even hotter on Monday with many places climbing into the 100s, including Denver. We will see some afternoon thunderstorms to offer a little relief during the late afternoon but the coverage won't be as widespread as recent days.

Monday's record high in Denver is 99 degrees and right now we are expecting a high of 102 degrees. Overnight lows from Sunday into Monday will be unusually warm with some places not falling below 70 degrees. In fact the warmest low on record in Denver for July 18 is 70 degrees from 1878.

This is where excessive heat becomes a concern, especially for those who don't have air conditioning or work outside. A double whammy is both. If you live in a place that doesn't cool down overnight and you get a restless sleep then you start the next day tired and your body is stressed. When you add the stress of a very hot afternoon, in particular if you work outside or don't have access to air conditioning during the day, the continued stress of the heat can sneak up on you and take a toll.

After a very hot day on Monday we'll drop back a little bit starting Tuesday, but it'll still be a hot week ahead. Highs in Denver will be in the 90s. We'll see thunderstorm chances go back up by the upcoming weekend as some more monsoon moisture flows back into the state.