Severe Thunderstorms Surge In Central Florida

Severe Thunderstorms Surge In Central Florida – Wet Memorial Day Weekend Forecast Saturday May 23rd 2026

KENNEDY MASON, WESH TWO NEWS. DID YOU SEE ME ON THAT YACHT? MARQUISE. I MEAN, I WAS JUST OUT THERE. YOU KNOW, HAIR BLOWING. I IMAGINE IT FOR SURE. HAIR BLOWING, MIMOSA IN HAND WHEN I SAW THAT BOAT GOING BY BECAUSE IT’S SO HOT OUTSIDE. BEING OUT ON THE WATER JUST SEEMS LIKE THE PERFECT THING TO DO. AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE, DOG DAYS OF SUMMER RIGHT NOW. WHAT’S GOING ON OUT THERE? IT FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURES, YOUR HEAT INDEX THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURE AND THE HUMIDITY OF THE AIR MAKES IT FEEL LIKE YOU’RE PUSHING TOWARDS THE TRIPLE DIGITS IN ORLANDO. FEELS LIKE 99 OUT THE DOOR, AND WE’VE ALREADY PASSED OUR MAXIMUM HEATING IN THE AFTERNOON. SO WE WERE JUST A LITTLE BIT WARMER EARLY ON. BITHLO SAINT CLOUD FEELS LIKE YOU’RE IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS, JUST LIKE NEW SMYRNA BEACH. SO WE’VE GOT SOME SERIOUS HEAT FUNNELING INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA. 92 IS THE ACTUAL READING ON YOUR THERMOMETER IN ORLANDO, WHERE YOU’RE SPORTING MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES? SOME OF US SAW MORE SUNSHINE THAN OTHERS TODAY. IN FACT, WE’RE BACK IN THE UPPER 80S IN OCALA. GOT SOME RAIN SHOWERS MOVING INTO THE PICTURE. ULTIMATELY, THOUGH, IT DEFINITELY FEELS LIKE SUMMERTIME OUTDOORS, BUT YOU GOT SOME SPRING SHOWERS ACROSS THE I 75 CORRIDOR. THIS IS ONE OF OUR STRONGER STORMS THAT JUST POPPED UP WITH MAX WINDS OF 40MPH. WITH THOSE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES COURTESY OF THAT GULF COAST BREEZE SWINGING INTO WESTERN MARION COUNTY BACK TOWARDS THE SOUTH WE GO RUTLAND, FLORAL CITY, LAKE PANASOFFKEE. THIS IS A GROWING SHOWER COURTESY OF CONVERGING WINDS COMING TOGETHER. AND THIS IS ANOTHER STRONG STORM JUST OUTSIDE OF OUR DMA. BUT YOU SEE THE RAIN SHOWERS PUSHING INTO WESTERN FLAGLER COUNTY AS WELL INTO THE SHELL BLUFF REGION, IN WHICH WE DO HAVE SOME VERY STRONG RAINFALL RETURN RATES, WHERE YOU SEE THIS BRIGHTER SHADE OF PURPLE TO INDICATE FOUR PLUS INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST AN HOUR’S TIME SPAN. SO LOW LYING AREAS WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ANY POTENTIAL FLOODING GOING ON. BUT YOU SEE, ALL ACROSS THE I-75 CORRIDOR, THAT’S WHERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT LIGHTNING STRIKES CURRENTLY ARE. AS WE WALK YOU THROUGH TIME ON FUTURECAST, YOU’RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH THE RAIN IN PARTS OF SUMTER AND MARION COUNTY THROUGH NINE, TEN AND 11:00, MAYBE EVEN A RUMBLE OF THUNDER PAST MIDNIGHT. BUT FOR THOSE OF US INLAND, YOU’RE JUST CLOUDY ALL NIGHT LONG. EVENTUALLY, THE RAIN SHOWERS STOP ALONG I 75, BUT THEY RETURN TO OUR COASTAL COMMUNITIES ALONG THE ATLANTIC TO START OFF THE MORNING BACK IN ORLANDO. WE DO HAVE A SMALL CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWERS, MAYBE EVEN A LIGHTNING STRIKE BY NINE. AND THEN WE CRUISE INTO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. TO START OFF THE DAY, IT’S A RINSE AND REPEAT FORECAST. I FELT LIKE A BROKEN RECORD ALL THROUGHOUT THE WORKWEEK, AS WE SEE THAT EASTERLY BREEZE BRINGING IN THE MOISTURE. OVERNIGHT. TEMPERATURES STAY WARM IN THE 70S AND LOW 80S FOR SOME. AND YOUR FULL FORECAST JUST ISN’T LOOKING GREAT TOMORROW DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THOSE RECURRING SHOWERS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. HIGHS ON SUNDAY RETURN TO THE LOW 90S. INLAND RAIN CHANCES HOVER BETWEEN 40 AND 50% OVER THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. BUT SPEAKING OF MOISTURE, LET’S TRACK THE TROPICS. NOTHING EXPECTED IN THE ATLANTIC FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS, BUT THERE IS ONE MODEL THAT WE’RE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE GFS, WHICH IS SHOWING THAT CHANCE FOR SOME MOISTURE SPILLING OVER FROM THE CARIBBEAN. LIKELY THAT LOW PRESSURE CENTER DOESN’T QUITE HIT US IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. BUT AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK, WE ARE GOING TO GET SOME MUCH NEEDED RAIN BECAUSE OF IT. KEEP IN MIND WE ARE IN A SIGNIFICANT DROUGHT HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. RAIN CHANCES FOR TOMORROW ACROSS I-75 WILL BE THE GREATEST, JUST LIKE THEY WERE TODAY. AND AS WE MOVE INTO THE MONTH OF JUNE, MUCH MORE RAIN IS ON THE WAY. SO OUR WET SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. BEFORE WE GET THERE THOUGH, WE’RE ROLLING INTO THE MEMORIAL DAY ITSELF WITH HIGH

Severe Thunderstorms Surge In Central Florida – Wet Memorial Day Weekend Forecast Saturday May 23rd 2026

Updated: 8:58 PM EDT May 23, 2026

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Severe Thunderstorms Surge In Central Florida – Wet Memorial Day Weekend Forecast Saturday May 23rd 2026Expect a hot and humid Memorial Day weekend across Central Florida. Afternoon and evening storm chances will rise each day, with storms capable of producing strong winds, hail, and heavy isolated downpours. Heat index values will push into the upper 90s and low 100s, so stay hydrated and take breaks indoors when possible. Meanwhile, a high risk of life-threatening rip currents continues at all Atlantic beaches swimming in the ocean is strongly discouraged. Rain chances ease slightly after Memorial Day before wetter weather returns later next week.Tropics: No Developments Expected for the Next 7 DaysStill monitoring long range models for an area of low pressure for late May/early June emerging out of the Caribbean. Still, the models show disagreement.

Severe Thunderstorms Surge In Central Florida – Wet Memorial Day Weekend Forecast Saturday May 23rd 2026

Expect a hot and humid Memorial Day weekend across Central Florida. Afternoon and evening storm chances will rise each day, with storms capable of producing strong winds, hail, and heavy isolated downpours. Heat index values will push into the upper 90s and low 100s, so stay hydrated and take breaks indoors when possible. Meanwhile, a high risk of life-threatening rip currents continues at all Atlantic beaches swimming in the ocean is strongly discouraged. Rain chances ease slightly after Memorial Day before wetter weather returns later next week.
Tropics: No Developments Expected for the Next 7 Days
Still monitoring long range models for an area of low pressure for late May/early June emerging out of the Caribbean. Still, the models show disagreement.

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