Orlando weather: Thursday morning storms expected across Central Florida with localized flooding possible

ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is expected to see daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms through the weekend, bringing a risk of localized flooding.

Gusty winds, frequent lightning and heavy rainfall are all possible as well. 

Morning storms expected on Thursday, Friday

Timeline:

Rain chances will increase Thursday through Sunday, with some storms developing during the morning hours Thursday and Friday before shifting to the more typical afternoon and evening pattern later in the weekend.

Thursday’s morning storms could affect the morning commute, depending on when they develop.

Multiple rounds of rain rest of the week

An active set up will bring rounds of scattered to widespread showers, storms, and heavy rain.

For Thursday specifically, some early morning downpours and storms could arrive before or near sunrise, which would impact our morning commute.

Additional rounds will be possible throughout Thursday afternoon and evening, and again into Friday afternoon.  It won’t be an all-day washout and not everyone will see the rain each day, but where it rains it will rain a lot over short periods of time.

Flooding will be possible in some spots as Central Florida could pick up around 2 to 4 inches over the next 7 days. The National Weather Service has placed Central Florida under a flooding risk through Saturday.

The average heat index at this time of year in Central Florida is generally about 100–104 degrees on a daily basis. Above 105 degrees gets a little less common, above 110 is only a handful of days a summer. This summer has also seen 39 days with high temperatures at or over 95 degrees. 

The increased cloud cover and rainfall will also provide some relief from the extreme heat. Heat index values are expected to remain mostly in the 90s over the next few days, compared with readings above 110 degrees recorded Wednesday. 

By early next week, however, heat index values are forecast to climb back above 100 degrees during the afternoon.

Quiet in the tropics

No tropical activity is expected over the next seven days. But just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean we let our guard down. It’s important to stay prepared through the entire hurricane season and to check in with the FOX 35 Storm Team for the latest.