ORLANDO, Fla. – Widespread heat continues to swamp Central Florida, with inland scattered storms lingering into the evening each day this week.
RAIN CHANCES
Daily storm chances through the first week of July will range from 30-50% near the coast and up to 40-60% for areas west of I-4.
Sea breeze boundaries are forecast to develop each afternoon, with a collision occurring near I-4 and neighborhoods toward the west. With the later onset of storms, expect the activity to linger late into the evening.
TEMPERATURES
As usual, the heat will be the big story areawide through the 4th of July holiday weekend. Highs should reach 90-93 degrees near the coast and 92-95 over inland areas.
Peak “feels like” temperatures should reach 102-107 degrees, which runs slightly below heat advisory criteria.
Lows overnight will fall to the mid-70s, although there will be upper 70s around urban Orlando and the barrier islands.
If you’re celebrating the holiday outdoors, take extra precautions to beat the heat, including staying hydrated and taking breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned room.
TROPICS
The same upper-level ridge that is keeping Central Florida on the hot side is also playing a very big role in keeping Hurricane Beryl, which reached category 5 status late Monday, well south of Florida in the Caribbean Sea.
Beryl continues to break records, as it is the earliest category 5 hurricane ever recorded with peak winds reaching 165 mph.
The forecast cone continues to show gradual weakening as it approaches Jamaica by Wednesday. By the weekend, model guidance becomes a bit more uncertain once it crosses the Yucatan Peninsula and re-emerges into the Gulf of Mexico.
Just a few hundred miles east of Beryl, another area is being closely monitored by the National Hurricane Center.
Although the latest satellite imagery is not impressive, it will be moving into more favorable conditions over the next several days. The NHC is giving it a 30% chance of tropical development over the next seven days.