09:29 AM EDT, 06/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Natural gas traded higher early on Thursday ahead of fresh storage data as forecasts see hotter weather on the way for most markets.

Gas for July delivery was last seen up US$0.08 to US$3.59 per million British thermal units.

The rise comes as long-term forecasts from the National Weather Service see nearly all states with hotter than seasonal temperatures over its six to 14 day outlook, offering higher cooling demand as air-conditioning increases the call on power supplies.

The Energy Information Administration will release its weekly look at inventories of the fuel stored for winter use. The agency is expected to report another outsized injection of the fuel into storage, which last week stood at 2.6-trillion cubic feet, 4.7% above the five-year average.

"The EIA has reported six straight weeks of >100Bcf injections, averaging 111Bcf, with four weeks setting new 5-year highs. It's forecasted again this week, with the Bloomberg survey at 108 vs. the 87Bcf average and 75-98 2020-2024 range," UBS noted.