Home Weather Dangerously Hot Florida Today; Very Busy Tropics

Dangerously Hot Florida Today; Very Busy Tropics

Thursday features plenty of swelteringly hot sun in the morning and showers and a few storms in the afternoon.  A moderate risk of dangerous rip currents is in place at the Atlantic beaches.  Highs on Thursday will be in the low 90s in the east coast metro area and the mid-90s along the Gulf coast — and a heat advisory is in place for the Gulf coast from noon until 6 pm, because “feels like” temperatures will be as high as 110 degrees there in the afternoon.

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Friday will bring mostly sunny skies in the morning, a brisk ocean breeze near the east coast, and periods of showers and storms in the afternoon.  The risk of dangerous rip currents will be elevated at the Atlantic beaches on Friday and into the holiday weekend.  Friday’s highs will be in the low 90s in the east coast metro and the mid-90s along the Gulf coast.

Saturday will feature a mix of sun and clouds to start, and showers and storms in the mid to late afternoon.  Look for a strong easterly breeze.  Saturday’s highs will be in the low to mid-90s.

Sunday will be another hot day with sun, clouds, and afternoon showers and storms on a steady ocean breeze.  Sunday’s highs will be in the low 90s.

The forecast for Labor Day calls for some sun, more clouds, and widespread showers and storms.  Highs on Monday will be in the low 90s.

In the tropics, Tropical Storm Nana is inland over southern Belize early on Thursday.  At 5 am, Nana was located near 16.7 North, 88.8 West, about 70 miles southwest of Belize City.  Maximum sustained winds were 70 miles per hour, and Nana was moving west-southwest at 15 miles per hour.  Nana is producing heavy rains of up to 10 inches in Belize and parts of Honduras and the Yucatan, which can cause flash flooding and mudslides.

Elsewhere, Omar has weakened to a tropical depression in the open Atlantic. Maixmum sustained winds were 35 miles per hour early on Thursday, but Omar is expected to become a remnant low later on Thursday as strong wind shear takes its toll.

We’re also watching a low about halfway between the Windward Islands and the African coast.  This low is forecast to wander around that area, and it has a low chance of becoming a depression during the next 5 days.  In fact, it might be absorbed by a wave in the eastern Atlantic which we’ve been watching since its generation over western Africa.  This wave has a high chance of development as it moves generally westward.

Donna Thomas has studied hurricanes for two decades. She holds a PhD in history when her experience with Hurricane Andrew ultimately led her to earn a degree in broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State University. Donna spent 15 years at WFOR-TV (CBS4 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale), where she worked as a weather producer with hurricane experts Bryan Norcross and David Bernard. She also produced hurricane specials and weather-related features and news coverage, as well as serving as pool TV producer at the National Hurricane Center during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Donna also served as a researcher on NOAA's Atlantic Hurricane Database Reanalysis Project. Donna specializes in Florida's hurricane history.