After severe heat in Knoxville, cooler temperatures and rain are on the way

As scorching hot weather hit Knoxville and East Tennessee over the past few weeks, you probably wondered when the heat wave would end. Good news is on the horizon, along with rain clouds and cooler weather, as the temperature this week is finally expected to drop into the mid to lower 80s.

July 18 is expected to be (relatively) cooler with a high of just 84 degrees and a 40-60% chance of thunderstorms and showers, according to the National Weather Service website.

There is at least a 30% chance of showers and storms each day July 17-24, which could give Knoxville the much-needed rain everyone has been sweating for. The highest temperature expected until July 24 is 87 degrees.

Total rainfall is expected to be up to 3 inches. There is potential for gusty winds and possible heavy rains, with the heaviest storms heading into July 18, Kerrie Simmons, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morristown, told Knox News.

Parts of Knox County have been abnormally dry or under "moderate drought" conditions recently. The National Weather Service will not know until July 25 if the expected rain will improve dry conditions in Knox County, but Simmons hopes the rain will at least help.