June is typically the wettest month of the year for Southwest Florida, but it certainly hasn’t played out that way this week. Rain chances will be very isolated again this afternoon, which means the summer heat will be front and center. Highs will range from 92-95 this afternoon, but the heat index will be as high as 100 degrees during the peak heating of the day. Any showers and storms that develop for the rest of today should be focused around the late evening hours before the area turns dry tonight. Overall, rain chances stay limited through the end of the...
After a week of downpours and storms, the rainy season will get put on hold today thanks to some drier air moving in from the east. The drier air combined with a building high over Florida will bring the heat front and center with daytime highs soaring into the mid to upper 90s this afternoon. Humidity levels will drop slightly today, which will help keep the heat index in check. Rain chances will be very slim today, but a stray shower or two can’t be ruled out late in the day. Tuesday will be hot and dry for most of the day, but we’ll see the potential...
Late Sunday evening the National Hurricane Center issued its daily tropical weather outlook highlighting an area near Central America for possible development later in the week. Right now it is too early to tell what, if anything, will form, but this is a fairly typical area for development this time of year. The National Hurricane Center is expecting an area of low pressure to develop in that highlighted area and track northwestward towards Central America and Mexico late this week. Sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean are running at or just above normal and could support tropical development,...
Downpours and thunderstorms are likely for the coastal spots to end the holiday weekend. Any outdoor plans or memorial services for Monday should be completed by the early afternoon as showers and storms become numerous across the area just after lunch time. With more of an easterly component to the wind, storms will be pinned along the coast as the sea-breeze gets going. Heavy rain and frequent lightning are likely with any storms that develop. The rest of the week will feature more of the same as the much anticipated rainy season pattern returns to the area. Daily high temperatures...
Florida’s sales tax holiday for hurricane supplies starts Friday and runs through Sunday, June 6. Before you go to the store though, you should be aware of a number of caveats and exceptions on what you can buy and not pay sales tax on. Let’s examine four tips to make you a more savvy shopper. Tip one: It’s not carte blanche Florida’s sales tax holiday is not offered carte blanche. Only certain items are allowed to be sold without sales tax as determined by the State of Florida. What qualifies isn’t up to the store’s discretion, and it’s not up to...
Rain opportunities will continue to trend very low this evening, as mostly clear sky conditions remain and temperatures stay mild. We’ll drop into the middle 70s late this evening, before eventually cooling off into the upper 60s by sunrise tomorrow morning. On Wednesday, mostly sunny sky conditions are on tap once again as rain coverage of any kind would stay limited. Though the humidity will be modestly higher than it was today, when you consider the big picture, it’s still pretty low for late May. This is helping to keep the wildfire active in our community. Please continue...
There is a new, second area to watch in the tropics and this one is about 800 miles to our west. A disturbance in the western Gulf of Mexico, associated with a surface low pressure, is producing clouds and thunderstorms. Before this disturbance moves onshore into SE Texas or Louisiana sometime Friday, there is a small window of opportunity for marginal development. Chances for development are quite slim at 20 percent. Regardless of development, heavy rainfall with the potential for flooding is possible. There are no threats to Florida at this time.
The post Second area of interest...
The NBC2 First Alert Hurricane Tracking Team continues to monitor an area of low pressure in the Atlantic, which is showing signs of becoming better organized and could develop into Subtropical Storm Ana in the next two days. The area to watch is currently a non-tropical system about 800 miles east of Bermuda. The National Hurricane Center now gives the system a 70% chance of developing in the next two days and a 90% chance of developing in the next 5 days. The good news is the storm will stay out to sea and will not be a threat to Florida or the U.S. mainland. Likely soon-to-be Ana...
It’s another very comfortable start to the day, as humidity remains low. Unfortunately, due to the humidity remaining low paired with breezy winds and our lack of rain, fire danger is again elevated. Another Fire Alert has been issued for today, so use caution grilling or doing anything that involves an open flame. Rain chances today are going to be hard to come by, with nothing other than a few isolated showers possible. Highs will climb into the low 90s this afternoon, making for a warm day, but we won’t be too far off normal for this time of year. A large area of high...
The Florida Forest Service is listing Lee County in the “very high” wildfire danger index level on Saturday, as a combination of stronger winds, generally dry soil, and lower humidity levels increases the risk of fires in the area. Charlotte County is listed as having a high risk of wildfires on Saturday, while Collier, DeSoto, Hendry, and Glades counties remain under the moderate fire risk category. Florida Forest Service highlights each Florida county with a fire threat index each day. The threat scale ranges from low to extreme and is issued as a heads-up for people in the...