Daytona Beach starts Tuesday with shallow fog and temperatures around 61 degrees, but the haze should give way to a warm, mostly sunny afternoon. The high is expected to reach near 79 degrees, with light northeast winds and almost no chance of rain. The surf is a separate concern: dangerous rip currents remain in place along Volusia County beaches.
Warm Tuesday Gives Way to a Storm Chance
Clouds will increase Tuesday night as temperatures settle near 68 degrees. Wednesday stays warm, with a high near 80, but a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms arrives after 1 p.m. Most storms should be scattered. Forecasters are watching for a few stronger cells across Central Florida that could bring wind gusts of 45 to 50 mph and coin-sized hail; widespread heavy rain is not expected.
Cold Front Brings Breezy, Cooler Weekend
Thursday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 79 and west winds gusting up to 20 mph. A stronger cold front arrives Thursday night, sending temperatures down to around 59 degrees and bringing gusts as high as 25 mph. Friday turns mostly sunny but cooler, with a high near 69 and breezy northwest winds. Saturday looks like the chilliest day of the stretch, with sunny skies, a high near 64 and gusts up to 25 mph; Sunday moderates to around 70 degrees.
Rip Currents Are the Immediate Beach Hazard
The National Weather Service says the risk of life-threatening rip currents remains high at Central Florida’s Atlantic beaches through late Tuesday night. Entering the surf is strongly discouraged, even for experienced swimmers, because currents can quickly pull people away from shore. The National Weather Service’s Tallahassee office emphasizes that rip currents can occur even on clear, sunny days.
County figures provide broader safety context, not a count of current rip-current incidents. Volusia County Beach Safety’s Nov. 8, 2026, snapshot listed 2,016 rescues and five drownings countywide so far in 2026; the figures do not identify how many were caused by rip currents. Separately, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that county data showed nine drownings along Volusia County’s coastline in 2024, all in unguarded beach sections. Those annual totals do not establish the cause of each drowning or describe today’s conditions. The figures are available from Volusia County Beach Safety and the News-Journal’s report.
The longer regional record also underscores the danger, while remaining historical rather than a measure of current risk: a 1998 National Weather Service Melbourne study reported an average of 4–5 rip-current-related drownings per year in east-central Florida during 1989–97. It also reported a statewide average of 21 per year during that period. These figures are not a recent Volusia County incident count or a measure of rip currents’ share of all beach-related fatalities. The study is available from the National Weather Service Melbourne.
Anyone caught in a rip current should stay calm, float and avoid swimming directly against it. If possible, swim parallel to the shoreline and signal for help. Follow lifeguard flags, beach patrol instructions and posted warnings.
St. Johns River Flooding Continues Inland
Flood warnings remain in effect along the St. Johns River, including forecast points near DeLand and Astor. River levels are expected to hold steady or rise slowly over the next several days, so residents near flood-prone areas should continue following local officials’ guidance.
