ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is heading into a stretch of unsettled weather, with scattered storms, heavy downpours and dangerous beach conditions all in the forecast.
While some areas may stay relatively dry at times, others could see frequent afternoon storms through midweek.
A high-pressure system to our north is keeping winds light and onshore across east Central Florida on Monday. Meanwhile, deeper tropical moisture is beginning to push northward from South Florida, and that’s helping fuel afternoon showers and storms.
Rain chances will vary across Central Florida.
Northern areas like Volusia County and northern Lake County may only see 20–30% coverage today, while areas closer to Orlando, Sanford and southern Brevard County could see 40–50% coverage this afternoon and evening.
Temperatures in the meantime will reach the upper 80s along the coast and climb into the low 90s inland with feels-like temperatures in the triple digits.
A long-period swell from distant Hurricane Gabrielle has made its way to our shoreline, increasing the potential for life-threatening rip currents along our area beaches.
Tuesday
Moisture will deepen across the region on Tuesday and with some upper-level energy moving in from the Gulf, we’re set up for another round of scattered to numerous afternoon and early evening thunderstorms.
Coverage will climb to 60-70% through sundown. Highs will again top out in the upper 80s to low 90s, depending on cloud cover.
Mid-to-Late Week
By Wednesday through Friday, storm chances decrease slightly as some drier air works into the northern part of the state. That said, scattered afternoon storms are still expected with coverage at 40-50%.
With fewer clouds and storms, temperatures will rise. Expect highs in the low to mid-90s, especially away from the coast. Heat index values could climb to 100–105 degrees.
Weekend
Late in the week, a large upper-level trough is expected to approach the Southeast U.S. That system could bring increased storm chances on Saturday, depending on how quickly it arrives.
By Sunday, some models suggest slightly drier air may wrap into northern parts of the state, which could help lower rain chances to around 40–50%.
At this point, models have not nailed down a consistent forecast for the weekend. Stay tuned as we track the trends.