ORLANDO, Fla. – Near record heat, gusty winds, and storm chances are all lining up for Central Florida as a major weekend weather shift takes shape.
The biggest story over the next few days will be the heat as afternoon highs are expected to climb into the upper 80s to low 90s through Saturday, keeping the heat risk high.
WEEKEND CHANGES
Saturday looks to be the hottest and windiest day of the stretch. Strong southwest winds ahead of an approaching cold front could gust between 25 and 30 mph during the afternoon as highs soar into the low 90s. Many locations could near record-breaking territory by then.
Big changes arrive late Saturday into Sunday as rain and storms ride in along a new cold front. By Sunday, widespread showers and embedded thunderstorms are expected, with rain coverage reaching 50 to 70 percent across the area.
Tropical moisture surging in along the front could lead to repeated rounds of heavy rain, meaning some localized short-term flooding could be possible.
The Weather Prediction Center has already placed parts of Central Florida under a Marginal Risk for excessive rainfall on Sunday.
A few stronger storms will also be possible with gusty winds, frequent lightning, small hail, and heavy downpours. Exactly how strong the storms become will depend on the timing of the front and upper-level energy moving through the region.
By Sunday afternoon, temperatures will remain much cooler with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s thanks to clouds and rain.