ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is heading into an unsettled stretch of weather this week as a front drops into our area Monday afternoon.
With that front interacting with the sea breeze, showers and thunderstorms will become widespread, beginning to develop by noon.
Some of these storms could produce heavy downpours, and there’s already about a 40% chance that parts of the Orlando metro could see more than 3 inches of rain by Monday evening.
This is just the beginning of a wetter pattern that will stick with us through at least Thursday.
Rain chances stay elevated through midweek as a stalled front and deep tropical moisture linger over the state.
Several rounds of rain are expected, with the heaviest totals likely along the coast. By the time this system winds down, most inland areas could pick up 1 to 3 inches of rain, while coastal communities could see 2 to 4 inches, with isolated spots even higher.
While this rainfall will help with ongoing drought conditions, it could also lead to localized flooding, especially in urban and poorly drained areas, if heavy rain falls in a short amount of time.
In addition to the rain, winds will become a big story.
Starting Tuesday, strong northeast winds will ramp up across the area, frequently gusting between 25 and 35 mph. Along the coast, there’s even a chance for gusts over 40 mph, with a few spots possibly nearing 50 mph. These winds could bring down small branches and lead to isolated power outages, so it’s a good idea to secure any loose outdoor items.
Those strong onshore winds will also create dangerous conditions at the beaches.
From Tuesday through Thursday, large waves building between 8 and 12 feet are expected along Central Florida’s Atlantic coastline. This will lead to rough surf, beach erosion around high tide, and numerous life-threatening rip currents. It is strongly discouraged to enter the ocean during this time.
Temperatures will take a bit of a dip as this unsettled pattern settles in. After highs in the 80s on Monday, many areas will only reach the low to mid 70s through midweek, with a few spots north of Orlando struggling to hit 70 degrees on Tuesday.
Looking ahead, we’ll gradually start to dry out heading into the weekend.
Rain chances decrease by Friday and into Saturday, with more sunshine returning by Sunday. Temperatures will also begin to warm back into the upper 70s and low 80s.