Meteorological summer starts on Sunday. June, July and August will feature its usual periods of sweltering heat, severe weather, intense wildfires and the start of a dynamic hurricane season.

AccuWeather's Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said temperatures as a whole from June through August will be above the historical average, especially in the West.

Areas of the East that avoid the worst of the heat may face an uptick in showers and thunderstorms, including the risk of severe weather.

"The Gulf is warm and will lead to intense severe weather events into summer," Pastelok explained. The storms could be more frequent in June and July than they are in August, including the potential for intense groups of thunderstorms known as derechos.

Derechos unleash extreme winds over a large are

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