ORLANDO, Fla. – A breezy evening is underway across Central Florida, with winds gradually relaxing overnight as high pressure settles closer to the state.
Skies will feature a mix of clouds, and a few light coastal showers or sprinkles are possible along the Treasure Coast into the early evening. Some models also suggest a brief, isolated coastal shower could develop overnight, but most inland areas will stay dry. Overnight lows will fall to around 61 degrees.
High temperatures Wednesday in Orlando topped out at 81 degrees, slightly cooler than the normal high of 85.
Sensitive fire weather conditions remain in place, even though Red Flag Warning criteria were not met Wednesday. Relative humidity values stayed above the critical 35 percent threshold, but the combination of dry fuels and lingering breezes can still lead to fire concerns.
Winds begin to back off by Thursday and Friday, along with pretty comfortable conditions overall. High temperatures will reach around 81 degrees Thursday, with east-southeast winds at 10 to 15 mph. Expect a few quick, passing showers at times, but overall rain chances remain low.
By Friday and especially into the weekend, a warming trend takes hold. Inland areas will reach the upper 80s, with coastal communities in the low to mid 80s thanks to the sea breeze. Rain chances stay limited at first, but isolated showers and a few lightning storms will return this weekend, mainly driven by sea breeze interactions. Sunday currently looks like the better chance for a few scattered storms, although most areas will still remain dry.
Even with the return of a little moisture, dry conditions leading up to the weekend mean any lightning could spark brush fires, so that remains something to watch.
For boaters, conditions are gradually improving. Winds continue to ease through Friday, with seas subsiding from around 3 to 4 feet down to 1 to 2 feet by the end of the weekend. That sets up much more favorable boating conditions heading into Saturday and Sunday.
Looking ahead, the warming trend continues into early next week. Highs climb into the low 90s inland by Tuesday and Wednesday, with the coast also warming into the upper 80s as the sea breeze becomes a bit more delayed each day.