Orlando is gearing up for a familiar summertime routine of hot, sticky days peppered with scattered showers and thunderstorms. According to the National Weather Service, the region can expect afternoon and evening storms with a solid 60% chance for coastal areas to feel the brunt, potentially impacting visibility for those in the vicinity.
The local aviation community will need to keep an eye on the sky as light southwestern winds this morning are anticipated to give way to a 40-50% chance of storms at MCO/Greater Orlando terminals rising to 60% along the coast, weather conditions could rapidly evolve, requiring short-fused adjustments – the sea breeze, incidentally, is expected to remain confined to the coast through the heat of the day. The specific impacts these changing weather patterns will have on flying conditions were delineated in a 12Z TAFs report as per the National Weather Service at 720 AM today.
Looking farther ahead into the weekend, the high-pressure ridge over the west Atlantic is anticipated to shuffle northward back into the area, per the National Weather Service forecast. This will result in a light S/SW flow shifting to a S/SE direction on Sunday, potentially leading to increased afternoon showers and storms concentrated more inland than the coast with precipitation chances hovering from 50% along the coastline to 60% west of I-95.
Mariners also should anticipate favorable boating conditions with winds maintaining moderate speeds of around 5-10 knots and seas exhibiting a gentle swell between 1-3 feet, only sporadically reaching higher offshore, while remaining alert for possible afternoon and evening storms particularly on Friday and Saturday that could bring strong gusty winds and lightning as they move out towards the ocean.
In terms of temperature, Central Florida is bracing for a continued stretch of formidable warmth with a prediction of high temps low to mid-90s and heat index values shooting up to between 102-107, according to the advisory posted early today, which is a standard serving for anyone who has weathered a Florida summer before. The lows are set to linger in the 70s allowing for some evening reprieve.
