ORLANDO, Fla. – After a few lingering showers and heavy downpours this evening, conditions will gradually quiet down overnight as Tropical Storm Bertha continues to move westward along the northern Gulf Coast. As of Tuesday evening, Bertha was packing maximum sustained winds of 60 MPH and is expected to gradually weaken over the next several days.
For Central Florida, Bertha’s biggest impact will actually be what happens behind it. Drier air circulating around the storm is filtering into the peninsula, lowering rain chances through Thursday. That means more sunshine, fewer afternoon storms, and hotter temperatures to finish the workweek.
Mostly dry conditions are expected overnight with lows falling to around 77 degrees.
We will see plenty of sun Wednesday, with only a 20% chance for isolated showers or thunderstorms. The best opportunity for rain will be areas west of Orlando where the sea breezes collide late in the day.
The tradeoff for fewer storms is hotter afternoons. High temperatures will climb to around 96 degrees Wednesday before reaching 97 degrees Thursday and Friday. That’s about five degrees above the normal high of 92 degrees for late July. Even with slightly lower humidity, heat index values will still climb between 100 and 107 degrees each afternoon. If you’ll be spending time outside, be sure to stay hydrated, wear lightweight clothing, and take frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning.
The dry stretch won’t last long. Moisture begins returning this weekend, and by early next week we’ll settle back into a more typical summertime weather pattern. Expect scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms each day, driven by the sea breeze and its collisions inland.
If you plan to head to the beach, be sure to swim near a lifeguard, as a moderate threat of rip currents continues.