LUMBERTON — After what feels like an eternity of excessive heat, Robeson County residents will get a break as Mother Nature lowers the thermostat just in time for the weekend.

Temperatures will be in the mid-90s today with a chance of thunderstorms throughout the day, and are forecast for triple-digits again Friday, but then there is — aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh — some relief.

Saturday’s forecast calls for a high of 91 degrees with a 60 percent chance of precipitation in the evening. On Sunday, the high will be 90 degrees with a 30 percent chance of precipitation, mostly in the morning.

“What’s changing over the weekend is that there will be a trough moving in in the upper atmosphere and a cold front moving in from the northwest,” said Rachel Zouzias, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington. “The combination of the two will bring the temperatures back down to normal — even below normal. It will feel much drier and maybe refreshing compared with what we’ve had.”

The drop in heat follows a two-week streak of temperatures that hovered around the 100-degree mark. The heatwave matched the record for the longest stretch of triple-digit highs in Robeson County. The only other time temperatures crossed the 100-degree mark for six consecutive days was during August 2007.

Smoldering heat paired with stifling humidity which put outdoor workers at an increased risk of dehydration and heatstroke. Seven people visited the emergency ward at Southeastern Regional Medical Center for heat-related reasons during the past two weeks, according to hospital spokeswoman Amanda Crabtree.

Until the slightly cooler temperatures arrive, experts say to continue to stay indoors when possible, stay hydrated and pay attention to how you are feeling to avoid heat stroke.