ORLANDO, Fla. – After days of typical afternoon storms and summerlike heat, Central Florida is heading toward a much wetter and stormier pattern by the end of the week.
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY
Tuesday and Wednesday will look fairly typical for late May. Most coastal areas stay mainly dry, with scattered afternoon and evening storms developing farther inland, especially west of Orlando and toward Interstate 75.
Rain chances climb from Tuesday’s 40-50% to 50-60% by Wednesday afternoon as moisture slowly increases across the state.
Temperatures will remain above average, with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s, with feels-like temperatures closing in on 100 degrees.
THURSDAY-WEEKEND
By Thursday, however, the pattern begins to change noticeably.
Models continue to show a deep surge of tropical moisture moving in from the Gulf as an upper-level low sets up to the west.
That setup will support numerous showers and thunderstorms developing each afternoon and evening through the weekend, with coverage surging to 70-80%.
Unlike the isolated summertime storms we’ve seen recently, this setup could produce multiple rounds of widespread rain and storms across Central Florida throughout the day.
Some stronger storms may produce gusty winds near 50 mph and frequent lightning. But the bigger concern could become heavy rainfall and localized flooding, especially in urban and low-lying areas.
Forecast rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches look increasingly likely in many spots from late week into the weekend, with some isolated areas potentially seeing more than 5 inches.
The wetter pattern is welcome news as the majority of the Sunshine State remains under a significant drought.
WEEKEND
The unsettled weather pattern may also linger longer than usual for this time of year. Forecast models continue suggesting moisture stays locked across Florida into early next week, with rain chances remaining elevated through at least Tuesday.
That means Central Florida could be entering its wettest stretch in months just as June begins.