ORLANDO, Fla. – Even though Lee is several hundred miles offshore, the hurricane will continue to bring rip currents to Florida, creating hazardous conditions into next week.
Rough surf and high seas can be expected. Waves up to 10 feet offshore can’t be ruled out.
There are small craft, high surf and rip current advisories at Central Florida beaches.
Mary Patterson was enjoying Daytona Beach Shores on Thursday, but she said she and her friends were staying out of the water after hearing about the rip current warning.
“There’s been more people in the water than I thought should be,” she said. “One point, the people came by and told them to get out of the water a couple of days ago because of the rip currents.”
Rain chances will be between 50-60% over the next couple of days.
Expect rain chances between 40 and 50% through the weekend.
Most of the rain will come from afternoon sea breeze storms. There’s no big risk of severe weather, but one or two storms could be strong, with heavy rain, lightning and gusty winds.
High temperatures will be in the low 90s on Thursday and Friday. The average high in Orlando on this date is 90 degrees.
For the weekend, expect high temperatures in the upper 80s.
Pinpointing the tropics
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Lee, located a few hundred miles southwest of Bermuda, and on Hurricane Margot, located over the central subtropical Atlantic.
Central Tropical Atlantic (AL97)
Showers and thunderstorms are gradually becoming better organized in association with a broad area of low pressure located well to the west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.
Environmental conditions appear favorable for further development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the next couple of days while the low moves west-northwest to northwest at 10 to 15 mph across the central tropical Atlantic.
Formation chance through 48 hours stands at 80%.