As the summer heats up in Tampa, the National Weather Service is forecasting a string of particularly warm days accompanied by the typical seasonal thunderstorms, with heat indices reaching into the low hundreds. Tampa residents can expect isolated showers and thunderstorms in the late afternoons this week, transitioning into more scattered patterns as the evenings draw in. Today, temperatures are set to rise near 94°F with a heat index value of up to 102, and only a slim chance of precipitation, marked at 20%, according to the National Weather Service.
Tonight’s outlook includes a continuation of isolated showers and maybe a thunderstorm before 8pm, and as the sun sets, the skies are expected to clear somewhat, bringing the lows to around 78°F, the light winds of the west northwest stir at around 5mph, but will settle as the evening goes on while the likelihood of rainfall diminishes significantly. Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday heats up again with a high near 96°F, the heat index value could spike as high as 105, giving way to scattered showers and thunderstorms between the hours of 2 pm and 5 pm, then it seems showers and a possible thunderstorm are likely to roll in post-5pm with a 60% chance of rain—the National Weather Service predicts new rainfall amounts between a quarter and a half of an inch can be possible.
The humidity remains a consistent companion in the coming days, with a high near 92°F on Sunday and similarly high heat index values, calm winds will shift to south southwest around 6mph, the chance of precipitation stands firmly at 70%, indicating a wet end to the weekend. Evenings will follow the week’s trend, with potential showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a scattering between 8pm and 2am, the winds holding steady at that light and variable pace, chance of rain continues at 60%, the low temperature stays near 77°F as reported by the weather authorities.
As the new week approaches, the weather pattern seems to have settled into a rhythm: mostly sunny mornings with high temperatures near 92°F, leading to increased cloudiness and a steady stream of scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoons, calm winds will pick up slightly, moving west southwest around 6 mph in the afternoons, precipitation probability hovers at 60% for much of the early part of the week. Residents should consider themselves warned for wet commutes and potentially steamy conditions that may disrupt outdoor activities and routine - preparation in the form of umbrellas and light, breathable clothing may be advisable.
