As the summer heat intensifies, Tampa residents are bracing for a week dotted with intermittent showers and thunderstorms. According to the National Weather Service, there's a calm before the proverbial storm with the forecast indicating a mostly sunny day today, but with a 40 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms materializing mainly after noon. High temperatures are expected to hover near 92 degrees, but with humidity levels pushing heat index values up to a sweltering 100 degrees. NWS Tampa advises locals to prepare to hastily adjust their plans around the weather.
Tonight, the likelihood for precipitation jumps to 60 percent, with showers and thunderstorms predicted before 1 am, followed by a short respite and then isolated showers after 5 am. The wind, maintaining a southerly direction with gentle whispers, won't provide much relief from the mugginess, as temperatures are expected to only dip to around 76 degrees. The start of the workweek won't offer much in terms of respite, with scattered showers and storms mainly after 8 am on Monday, continuing a pattern that's forecast to last through Saturday.
On Tuesday, locals can expect "Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8am," according to the NWS. By midweek, the patter of raindrops will become a familiar sound with a 70 percent chance of showers and maybe a thunderstorm after 2pm on Wednesday and a similar pattern extending through Thursday. Evenings bring a modest drop in the chance of rain, but don't expect the skies to clear completely.
For those planning ahead, Thursday through Saturday will be days to keep an umbrella at hand. The NWS anticipates a 70 percent chance of showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm on Thursday, with these prevailing conditions sluggishly making their way into the weekend. Days will remain mostly sunny, with high temperatures consistently pushing the mid-90s, a reminder that even as the skies threaten to open, the Florida heat intends to assert itself fiercely.
