Cold front approaches after storms drop rain, hail on Central Florida

Cooler temperatures forecast in Orlando area behind front

ORLANDO, Fla. – Storms brought rain, hail, lightning and gusty winds to Central Florida on Wednesday morning, but showers will be winding down as the evening wears.

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"A cold front is approaching Central Florida. Look for a few more showers or isolated thunderstorms to still erupt as the front moves in," said News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells. "Late night the cooler, drier air will take over. The low tonight in Orlando will drop to 61 degrees."

The cooler weather comes after weather warnings were issued early in the day for Brevard, Orange, Lake, Osceola and Sumter counties. News 6 viewers said pellet-sized hail fell in Gotha and Windermere, and nickel-sized hail came down in Palm Coast. Ping pong ball-sized hail also fell in Clermont, where there were reports of minor damage to pool screens and a trampoline.  No injuries were reported.

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From 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., about 1.5 inches of rain fell in Lake, Osceola and Sumter counties.

High temperatures were in the upper 70s, around 78 degrees, in Orlando because of cloud cover on Wednesday.

"Tomorrow we rebound to a high of 82," Sorrells said. "That will be 4 degrees below the normal high for this time of year." 

Rain chances stay out of the forecast through Mother's Day weekend, with highs in the upper 70s on Friday, lower 80s on Saturday and mid- and upper 80s for Mother's Day on Sunday.


About the Authors:

Tom Sorrells is News 6's Emmy award winning chief meteorologist. He pinpoints storms across Central Florida to keep residents safe from dangerous weather conditions.