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Orlando Weather PM Forecast: Showers linger into morning hours
Thunderstorms swept into Central Florida late Sunday, drenching fans as they left the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and prompting warnings of gusty winds and possible isolated tornadoes.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Thunderstorms swept into Central Florida late Sunday, drenching fans as they left the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and prompting warnings of gusty winds and possible isolated tornadoes.
Rain began falling shortly after the race ended, with heavier showers moving into Daytona Beach as thousands of spectators made their way home.
Timeline for storms, rain
What To Expect:
Communities from Spring Hill to Palm Coast were expected to see the heaviest rainfall through late evening, with the storm line gradually sinking south toward the Interstate 4 corridor and metro Orlando before weakening in the early hours of Monday.
Rainfall totals were forecast to range from about 1 inch in some northern areas, including Gainesville, to locally 2 inches near Spring Hill — amounts officials said fall short of what is needed to significantly ease ongoing drought conditions.
County-by-County Forecast: What to expect
Scroll through the gallery for a county-by-county forecast for when the worst of the weather arrives, as well as the biggest impacts. The biggest weather threats include heavy rain, damaging wind gusts up to 55 mph, and lightning. There is also the chance for a potential tornado to develop, forecasters say.
Conditions were expected to improve before Monday’s morning commute, though clouds will likely linger. High temperatures are forecast to return to the mid-70s Monday before climbing back into the low 80s later in the week.
Thunderstorms will be out of the area by 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.
President's Day forecast
What To Expect:
Scattered rain and storms will stick around all the way into the early morning hours of your Presidents' Day Monday.
Most of the showers should be gone by 4 a.m. except for a lingering sprinkle or two. Mostly cloudy skies and cool winds will stay breezy, bringing in a touch of cooler air. Lows will drop into the upper 50s and low 60s.
This will bring us back down into the mid 70s for highs on Monday with breezy conditions and mostly cloudy skies through the majority of the day with a few peeks of sun in the late afternoon.
Looking Ahead:
Beyond Monday, the forecast looks warm, sunny, dry. Temperatures will be warming up in a big way for next week. Highs will approach the mid 80s by Thursday and Friday.
Drought is expanding and now the worst since 2000 in Florida. We need rain and will get some late Sunday into Monday, but nowhere near enough to make major dents in the drought levels.
With the lightning coming in with the storms, there will be a heightened wildfire risk because cloud to ground lightning could spark new fires. Wildfire risk looks to stick around until May.
The Source: The information is from the FOX 35 Storm Team and the National Weather Service.