Red Flag Warnings issued as fire threats increase in Central Florida
ON WESH TWO, NEWS AT NOON AND WESH TWO NEWS AT 4 P.M. ALL RIGHT, SPEAKING OF MILAN-CORTINA AND THE BEAUTIFUL ITALY OUT THERE, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER. WHAT ARE THEY EXPERIENCING THERE? WELL, CLEAR SKIES ARE BACK IN ITALY TONIGHT. JUST LIKE WHAT WE’RE EXPERIENCING HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. RIGHT. BUT TEMPERATURES NOT SO COLD YET. NOT SO COLD YET. YES, AT LEAST FOR US HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. 39 DEGREES. WHAT? THEY’RE STEPPING OUTDOORS TO IN MILAN. BUT AS YOU ALLUDED TO, LUANA, WE WILL BE DROPPING TO THE 30S LATER ON AS WE PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE WORKWEEK. SO THIS WEEKEND WE GOT A TASTE OF SUMMER AS THE WORKWEEK ROLLS IN, THE HEAT IS ROLLING OUT AND WE’LL GET A TASTE OF WINTER COMING. OUR DIRECTION HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL BE STEPPING OUTDOORS TO ON TUESDAY MORNING. A WINTER BLAST OF AIR IS GOING TO RETURN TO US HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, DROPPING TEMPERATURES ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE 20S IN PARTS OF MARION COUNTY, 29 DEGREES IN OCALA FOR US HERE INSIDE OF THE CITY. BEAUTIFUL 35 DEGREE TEMPERATURES WILL BE BACK. SO SOME VERY CHILLY WEATHER AS THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE DOES CONTINUE. IF YOU COMPARE THIS AFTERNOON’S HIGHS, WHICH WERE RECORD SETTING IN ORLANDO TO TUESDAY MORNING, LOWS WILL DROP 54 DEGREES. AND IT’S ALL COURTESY OF THIS COLD FRONT HERE COMING EQUIPPED WITH A FEW SHOWERS ON SUNDAY MORNING. BUT I DO BELIEVE THE BIGGER THREAT WILL BE HOW WINDY WE ARE IN THAT FIRE DANGER CONCERN ON SUNDAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AS FOR THE REST OF YOUR EVENING, I MENTIONED CLEAR SKIES WILL BE BACK HERE IN ORLANDO. TEMPERATURE WISE THOUGH, WILL SHIFT INTO THE MID 60S BEFORE YOUR NIGHT IS SAID AND DONE. WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE WARM TO START OFF THE MORNING, BUT WILL PEAK RIGHT AROUND YOUR SEASONAL AVERAGE DUE TO THE TIMING OF THIS COLD FRONT MOVING IN. SO WE’RE HOT TONIGHT. BREEZY THOUGH TOMORROW ONCE THE RAIN MOVES OUT, STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL BE SLIDING INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA. IN FACT, EVEN BEFORE THE RAIN, WE START TO SEE THOSE WINDS ELEVATE ACROSS I-75 TO 20 TO 25 MILE PER HOUR CONDITIONS. FIRST FEW CHANCES FOR RAIN, MAYBE AS EARLY AS FIVE AND SIX ACROSS I-75, BUT A FEW BANDS OF RAIN WILL SQUEEZE INTO THE I-4 CORRIDOR. IT WILL BE IN AND OUT BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. THE RAIN ISN’T GOING TO BE LONG LASTING, BUT THE WINDS, THE GUSTY CONDITIONS ONCE SKIES DO CLEAR BY 1:00. TAKE A LOOK. WE’RE SHOWING 30 PLUS MILE PER HOUR WINDS SURGING ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON ON SUNDAY, WHICH IS GOING TO KEEP THAT RED FLAG WARNING IN PLACE AS FAR AS RAINFALL ACCUMULATION IS CONCERNED, WE’LL BE LUCKY TO SEE HALF OF AN INCH IN CERTAIN AREAS HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. KEEP IN MIND THIS DROUGHT IS IMMENSE. 2 TO 3IN BELOW OUR SEASONAL AVERAGE IN REGARD TO RAINFALL ACCUMULATION. ONCE MONDAY ROLLS IN, THOUGH, HERE COMES THAT COOL BLAST OF AIR WITH LOWS IN THE 30S. IN THE 40S, AND WE’RE EVEN COOLER ON TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY IS WHEN WE START TO PIVOT IN THE AFTERNOON. WE’LL SEE TEMPERATURES START TO FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE SEASONAL REGARDLESS. REGARDLESS, THOUGH, SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY COMING UP, WE WILL SEE THAT RED FLAG WARNING. AND THEN ON TUESDAY, WITH THE BREEZE IN THE MORNING, FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURES COULD BE AS LOW AS 22 DEGREES. IN OCALA, 24 INSIDE OF PALM COAST, IT’S GOING TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE BELOW FREEZING RIGHT HERE IN ORLANDO, BUT THE ACTUAL OVERNIGHT LOW WILL BE RETURNING TO THE 30S. SO WE DO HAVE IMPACT WEATHER SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW DUE TO THE RED FLAG WARNINGS IN PLACE AND THEN SEVERE WARNING WEATHER MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. WITH THOSE OVERNIGHT LOWS IN
Red Flag Warnings issued as fire threats increase in Central Florida
Updated: 11:05 PM EST Feb 21, 2026
Dry conditions in the area have led to red flag warnings going into effect across most of Central Florida this week.Fire Weather Warnings are now in effect for Orange, Lake, Seminole, Volusia, Marion, Sumter, Osceola and Flagler counties. Watches have also been issued for nearly all of Central Florida. The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team is calling for Impact Weather on Sunday as fire threats remain elevated. A small amount of rain is expected on Sunday, but this would do little to alleviate the ongoing drought conditions affecting Central Florida.Overnight lows from Monday through Wednesday are forecast to drop into the 30s, with wind chill values potentially dipping as low as the 20s.As a result, Wednesday morning has been added to the area’s list of Severe Weather Warning Days.
, Fla. —
Dry conditions in the area have led to red flag warnings going into effect across most of Central Florida this week.
Fire Weather Warnings are now in effect for Orange, Lake, Seminole, Volusia, Marion, Sumter, Osceola and Flagler counties. Watches have also been issued for nearly all of Central Florida.
The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team is calling for Impact Weather on Sunday as fire threats remain elevated.
A small amount of rain is expected on Sunday, but this would do little to alleviate the ongoing drought conditions affecting Central Florida.
Overnight lows from Monday through Wednesday are forecast to drop into the 30s, with wind chill values potentially dipping as low as the 20s.
As a result, Wednesday morning has been added to the area’s list of Severe Weather Warning Days.