Orlando residents and visitors, brace yourselves for a wet and cloudy weekend with a side of rough surf. The National Weather Service Melbourne FL, in their Area Forecast Discussion released early this morning, noted an increased chance of heavy rainfall and minor flooding, particularly southeast of the I-4 corridor. Additionally, beachgoers should exercise caution as a High Risk for rip currents at area beaches is expected to persist today and may linger into the weekend.
The weather outlook shouldn't dampen all spirits, as drier air will gradually build into the area through late weekend into early next week, leading to lower rain chances, according to the report. Showers and storms are likely along and northwest of the I-4 corridor this afternoon, climbing up to a 50% chance. To fully understand the gravitas, the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee County are under a Slight Risk for excessive rainfall, with previous banding of showers and isolated storms having occurred overnight.
Marine activity isn't looking ideal, either. The front lingering near Lake Okeechobee will maintain bumped-up chances of showers and storms, particularly for coastal waters. Boaters take note: N/NE winds are going to increase to 15-20 knots this afternoon and throughout the weekend, primarily north of the Cape, contributing to less-than-favorable boating conditions. Seas are projected to build up to 6 feet in the Volusia and offshore Brevard waters by this weekend.
For those keeping an eye on the sky, from airports to armchair enthusiasts, VFR conditions outside of convection are forecasted through the TAF period. The Aviation section of the report advises, scattered onshore moving showers are ongoing this morning, mainly MLB southward. A notable uptick in rainfall is to be expected with the showers and storms beginning along the coast in the morning and pushing inland throughout the afternoon. This increase in moisture is likely to result in a higher coverage of showers and storms today.
Looking ahead, residents can keep their fingers crossed for somewhat more agreeable weather. As the lingering front is set to shift farther southward late weekend into early next week, rain chances should begin to diminish. However, with the capricious nature of Florida weather, there may yet be new developments, so consider keeping an umbrella within arm's reach just in case.
