Will this tropical disturbance affect Florida? There’s a change in the forecast later this week
A tropical disturbance is expected to douse South Florida later this week.
The National Hurricane Center forecast shows the system moving near or over the Straits of Florida and the Bahamas by the end of the week and into next weekend, with a 20 percent chance of development in the next five days.
Monday and Tuesday will be mostly rain-free, with a 20 percent chance. But it will stay hot, with “feel-like” temperatures of 100 Monday, said CBS4 meteorologist Jennifer Correa.
But the rain chance, thanks to the disturbance, surges to 40 percent Wednesday and Thursday, and shoots up to 70 percent Friday, Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Rain chance in the Keys is 40 percent through the weekend.
What about Southwest and Central Florida?
There’s a moderate rip current threat along the beaches of east-central Florida Monday at least until midafternoon, according to the hazardous weather outlook. Swimmers are asked to stay near a lifeguard and not swim alone.
Central Florida is also getting soaked all week with 40 to 70 percent chance of rain and a potential for “dangerous cloud to ground lightning strikes,” according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
The heaviest rainfall will start late Friday night through Sunday, when the tropical wave gets closest to Central Florida, according to the weather service. The service is keeping an eye on the disturbance, but whether it develops or not, they say to expect heavy showers and possible flooding.
Those living around Bradenton and Tampa are also going to see some heavy rain this week, but it’s just part of Florida’s usual summer weather pattern. There’s a 40 to 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, according to the weather service in Tampa Bay, but it’s not from the disturbance.
The tropical wave could increase the rain chance over the weekend, but for now, the service said it’s just usual Florida weather.
This story was originally published July 29, 2019 at 7:56 AM.
