The heat is back and so is the storm threat.

Temperatures will surge to near 90, with humidity pushing heat index values close to 100 degrees. Strong to severe thunderstorms could fire up into the evening, bringing damaging wind gusts, frequent lightning and torrential downpours. The timing could make for a messy evening commute across the five boroughs.

Tuesday and Wednesday will be generally quieter with a mix of sun and clouds, but a few showers or thunderstorms will be possible.

Ready for a summer cold down? There's another round of rain and storms into Thursday as a cold front drops south from Canada. After that clears, the payoff arrives by Friday, sunshine, lower humidity and comfortable temperatures heading into the weekend.