ORLANDO, Fla. – A weather system in the Gulf of Mexico will likely drag moisture away from Central Florida, lowering rain chances over the next couple of days.
The high Friday in Orlando maxed out at 89 degrees. Meanwhile, rain showers were few and far between.
Friday evening will bring a chance of a light sprinkle or shower, but most areas across Central Florida will be rain free.
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The low overnight will drop to 75 degrees at Orlando International Airport.
On Saturday, the rain chances are down to 30% and the high will bounce up to 92.
Sunday is Father’s Day and the high will reach 90. Rain chances continue to build to 50% Sunday afternoon. Most of the storms and showers will be moving from Orlando to the east and south.
TRACKING THE TROPICS
The system in the Gulf, officially Tropical Cyclone Three, will likely become Tropical Storm Claudette on Friday, dumping heavy rain on the northern Gulf Coast.
The poorly-organized disturbance was located early Friday about 390 miles south of Morgan City, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It was moving north at 9 mph. A system becomes a tropical storm when its winds reach 39 mph.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama -- extending from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards late Thursday issued a state of emergency due to the potential weather threats. The move is an administrative step that authorizes the use of state resources to aid in storm response efforts, the governor’s office said.
The system is expected to produce up to 8 inches of rain across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and up to 12 inches through the weekend from the central U.S. Gulf Coast northeastward into the Southern Appalachians.
The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, the hurricane center said. The water could reach heights of about 1-3 feet.
There have already been two named storms during the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Meteorologists expect the season to be busy, but not as crazy as the record-breaking 2020 season.
After Claudette, the next named storm will be called Danny.
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