ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is in for another round of near-record heat on Wednesday before storms return with a cold front late Thursday.
The front will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms and kick off a stretch of more unsettled weather heading into the weekend and early next week.
WEDNESDAY
Hot temperatures remain the main story today as high pressure remains in control.
Afternoon highs will climb into the upper 80s to near 90 degrees for inland neighborhoods, putting a few locations close to record territory once again.
Coastal areas will stay a little cooler in the mid 80s as the afternoon sea breeze moves inland.
THURSDAY COLD FRONT
Another hot afternoon is expected on Thursday before a cold front pushes toward Central Florida late in the day.
High temperatures will again reach the upper 80s to near 90 degrees, even along parts of the coast.
Most of the day will stay dry, but rain chances will climb to 40-70% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms late in the afternoon as the cold front moves through the region.
A few storms could become briefly strong with gusty winds, small hail, lightning, and locally heavy downpours.
FRIDAY
The cold front will move south of the region by Friday morning, but lingering showers and storms remain possible through the day as additional energy moves overhead.
With more clouds and rain around, temperatures will cool slightly with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s.
WEEKEND
The weather pattern turns more unsettled heading into the weekend.
Moisture will increase across Florida, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday, with rain chances around 50 to 70 percent.
SPRING BREAK
Another cold front could arrive Monday night, keeping rain chances around through early next week.
Behind that front, a cooler pattern is expected to develop by the middle of next week, with highs dropping into the 60s and lower 70s and overnight lows falling into the 40s and 50s.