The forecast in Orlando today includes heat, storms, and even a potential frost. According to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, FL, while temperatures can warm into the low 80s this afternoon, there's a significant change in the wind. The area is bracing for scattered to numerous showers and isolated lightning storms capable of wind gusts up to 40-50 mph, forecast on Wednesday as a cold front moves southeast over east central Florida.
But don't get too comfortable with the warmth, as the temperatures are set to plummet into the 30s and 40s come Thursday behind the front. Residents to the north might experience patchy frost on Thursday morning, a sharp contrast to today's relative balminess. The National Weather Service also warns that "hazardous conditions are expected to develop over the local Atlantic midweek," including a moderate to high risk of rip currents at area beaches, complemented by high surf from mid to late week.
The change in weather could spell trouble for aviators. VFR conditions are likely to prevail today and tonight, but by Wednesday, the strong cold front will make its presence known with showers and isolated storms. Pilots should expect breezy southwest winds around 15-20 knots with gusts up to 25 knots. Such conditions are liable to make takeoffs and landings more perilous than usual.
Boating conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly on the marine front by Wednesday. Southwest winds will ramp up to 20-25 kts offshore in the afternoon, with seas of 2-3 ft today, burgeoning to 6-9 ft into Wednesday night. Small Craft Advisories will come into effect for portions of the waters as early as 3 AM Wednesday, expanding southward as the day progresses. Isolated showers and perhaps a few lightning storms accompany this front and could deliver gusts of 34 knots.
Thursday's cold, dry, and windy conditions make it an important day for fire weather awareness. The National Weather Service projects that north winds will veer northeast around 7-12 mph, with gusts between 15-25 mph. And while this dramatic shift might warrant bundling up, it calls even more for vigilance in preventing any fires that could quickly get out of hand in such conditions.
