Monday, June 25, 2012 4:43 am

Chances of rain are only slight for Cannon County during the upcoming week as the hot and dry weather continues.

There is a 10 percent chance of rain later today, but the best chance for participation this week doesn't come until Saturday, when isolated showers are a 30 percent change of rain are forecast.

Meanwhile, the heat wiill continue with highs in the 90s most of the week and predicted to top 100 on Friday and Sunday.

A little relief is expected Tuesday with highs hitting the mid 80s.

Heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. In fact, on average, excessive heat claims more lives each year than floods, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes combined.

In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died. In the heat wave of 1995 more than 700 deaths in the Chicago area were attributed to heat. In August 2003, a record heat wave in Europe claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.

North American summers are hot; most summers see heat waves in one or more parts of the United States. East of the Rockies, they tend to combine both high temperature and high humidity, although some of the worst heat waves have been catastrophically dry.

Today: Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming north between 10 and 15 mph. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

FORECAST:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 62. North northeast wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 87. North northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 57. North northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 68. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 99. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70.

Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 72.

Sunday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97.