A sizzlin’ start to the Fourth

Weather leading up to Independence Day may have been fit for neither man nor beast, but it was just right for kids taking a dip at Hillsboro’s pool, revelers setting off fireworks in Marion, and cattle seeking sheltering in shade south of Florence,.

Tuesday featured both a heat advisory and a severe thunderstorm warning for the county. Temperatures approached 100, the heat index greatly exceeded 100, and then strong storms with winds of up to 70 mph swept across portions of the county, especially in the south.

After more storms today and on the Fourth, weather is expected to moderate for the rest of what for many will be a four-day weekend.