ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is heating up fast, and near record warmth could arrive just in time for the weekend.
WEDNESDAY
High pressure remains firmly in control across Florida and the Gulf, keeping conditions warm and mostly quiet Wednesday. A steady northeast breeze up to 20mph, will continue through the afternoon.
Moisture is gradually increasing along the breeze, which means a few isolated showers will drift onshore through the day with coverage at 20-30%.
Afternoon highs will run well above normal, reaching the upper 70s to low 80s along the coast and the low to mid 80s inland.
Patchy fog could develop again late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning.
BEACH HAZARDS
Beach conditions remain dangerous. A high risk of rip currents continues at all area beaches due to persistent onshore winds and building seas.
OUTLOOK
From Thursday through early next week, the overall weather pattern changes very little as high pressure shifts into the Atlantic.
For us, that means the sea breeze will form every afternoon and push inland, helping spark scattered showers. Rain chances will range from 20% to 50% daily, with the best chances across the interior and western interior during the afternoon hours.
Another big story is the heat. Temperatures will climb to 5 to 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. Afternoon highs will consistently reach the low to mid 80s.
Some locations, like Leesburg and Sanford, could challenge record highs this weekend.
As you make weekend plans, remember that the time changes early Sunday morning as we spring forward one hour.