Cleveland is scaring its October high temperature records

Yes, but: Despite the warm temperatures during the day today, there's a strong chance of wind gusts and precipitation during prime trick-or-treating hours.

Driving the news: Thursday's forecasted high of 81 for Cleveland is one degree below the daily record, set in 1950.

• Monday's high of 78 tied the all-time high set in 1946.

Threat level: Even if we don't set a new record today, this week's temperatures are about 20 degrees above average for this time of year.

The big picture: Like much of the globe, Northeast Ohio is getting hotter. This year has been no exception.

Zoom in: Cleveland logged record-breaking temperatures during heatwaves in both June and September.

• It was the third-driest summer for much of central and Southern Ohio as well.

Zoom out: This year is all but certain to be the planet's warmest and could narrowly beat 2023 as the hottest one tracked since at least the 19th century, per Axios' Andrew Freedman.

• Experts say it's the result of both natural climate fluctuations, such as El Niño, and long-term human-caused warming.

What we're watching: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's temperature outlook favors a warmer-than-average start to November.

What's next: Daytime temperatures will dip into more normal ranges this weekend, with the mercury dropping back to the 50s and 60s.

• Expect intermittent autumnal showers.

🧥 The bottom line: It's not to late to cook up a costume that includes a raincoat.