NORTH ATTLEBORO - Don't panic: That big ball of fire in the sky is supposed to be there.

After spending much of the summer so far missing in action, the elusive sun managed to peek out from behind a thick screen of rain clouds this morning, like a child looking out behind a theater curtain.

Unfortunately, the yellow orb is only making a cameo, as AccuWeather is forecasting a return to clouds this afternoon and a possibility of thunderstorms and rain around 4 p.m.

The temperature is expected to peak at a high of 81 degrees. It will drop to 60 degrees overnight after any possible thunderstorms abate and the skies become partly cloudy.

While not ideal for the start of a holiday weekend, the weather is a vast improvement from what the Attleboro area has been experiencing - a string of rainy, cloud-packed days punctuated by swift and strong thunder and lightning storms. About 1.72 inches of rain fell during Thursday's storm, resulting in reports of buildings struck by lightning, flash floods and power outages. AccuWeather is forecasting a high of 76 degrees and mostly sunny weather for Saturday, with a possibility of a shower or thunderstorm for the afternoon.

On Sunday, the high is expected to reach 82 degrees with partly sunny weather, AccuWeather said.