New York City’s early heat wave will end with a bang Thursday night as thunderstorms pass through the area, bringing with them the chance for wind gusts up to 80 mph and golf ball-sized hail. The weather will return to more spring-like norms following our early brush with extreme summer heat.

Thursday matched the hottest early June day on record, at least in some parts of Greater New York. While the temperature at the official observation station at Central Park failed to break a record high, the weather station at Newark International Airport did. Before clouds rolled through — limiting the day’s heating potential — the mercury hit 101 in Newark, the earliest that mercury has ever pushed past the 100-mark at any of the four main observation sites in the area. (The previous earliest reading was June 15, 1994, also at Newark, when the temperature also hit 101.)

We’ll get a good break from the recent heat over the weekend. The cold front passing through Thursday night will increase our rain chances as well, and we may get off-and-on showers all the way until Sunday evening. Despite the risk of rain, temperatures will be much more tolerable, mainly in the 70s and 80s. The heat should stay away for much of next week as well, as typical spring weather returns.

Your Weather Journal weekend forecast roundup:

WSJ Headquarters in Manhattan:

High: Friday: 84, Saturday: 70, Sunday: 82
Low: Friday: 64, Saturday: 66, Sunday: 63
Weather: Rain showers will help beat the heat
Friday/Saturday/Sunday Highs for Greater New York:

Brooklyn: 85/73/83
Queens: 86/72/83
Bronx: 85/72/83
Staten Island: 86/73/85
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: 81/67/81
Trenton, N.J.: 89/76/86
Islip, Long Island: 82/71/79
New Haven, Conn.: 81/71/79

As the mercury rose Thursday, temperatures continued their relentless march upward. Some records were broken across the sweltering, baking Tri-State Area as the heat wave continued for a second straight day.

Officials urged New Yorkers to restrict strenuous activities.  Of course, proper hydration is also urgent, so drink plenty of water.

Con Ed was working to keep the power flowing as area residents crank up their air conditioners. To help prevent a power outage, they’re asking customers to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees, which they say is the right balance between comfort and overtaxing the grid.

“We have all our crews ready and waiting for a response to anything that comes our way,” John Miksad, a senior vice president with Con Ed, told CBS 2′s Kathryn Brown. “If there is some failure, we’ll be there, we’ll find it and restore as quickly as possible.”

(Source: WCBSTV / WSJ)