Orlando weather: Heat builds as storm chances drop across Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. - The weather story for the rest of the week features overall lower rain chances accompanied by building dangerous heat.

Saharan Dust arrives

Consistent with our annual peak of Saharan Dust in July, we've got a plume that's traveled over 5,000 miles from Africa, arriving Thursday and lasting into Sunday.

What will Saharan Dust do?:

This will make skies hazy, and air quality reduced, due to microscopic particles called, "particulates" (which can cause sneezing and increase the risk of respiratory events for those with pulmonary morbidities).

It will also further dry out our air, reducing our daily afternoon storm chances to less 20% or less as we head into the weekend. This will keep temps hot.

‘Heat dome’ will make it hot in Central Florida

We've got a heat wave thermal ridge of high pressure building overhead late week, resulting in widespread sinking of air.

This subsidence will squish most storms before they can get going. That, combined with the dust, will be the 1-2 punch to keep rain chances low.

That subsiding air will also compress and warm, resulting in highs reaching the upper-90s with heat index levels surpassing 108°. Heat Advisories are likely this weekend.

Weather outlook next week

We'll find ourselves largely between plumes of dust (more ahead), and with a weakening upper level ridge, that'll allow storm chances to return.

Tropics are quiet

This El Niño may be contributing to a quiet Atlantic basin. We're seeing the lowest June/July activity in 12 years in our ocean basin.

The Saharan Dust acts to further tamp down any attempt at development.

Our normal high is 92°F and normal low is 73°. We'll be running about 5° above normal on both sides of the day.