Showers & Thunderstorms Possible for Much of the Peninsula Today...Highest Rain Chances in Central and Southwest Florida...No Severe Weather is Expected...Tropical Storm Igor Remains in the Eastern Atlantic with a New System Beginning to Form in the Caribbean...

A similar weather pattern to the previous few days is expected once again today as high pressure both at the surface and in the upper levels of the atmosphere remains over the region. Afternoon temperatures statewide will remain several degrees above normal with heat index values around 100 degrees in Northwest Florida and between 100 and 105 across much of the Peninsula away from the immediate coast.

All of the Florida Panhandle and western areas of the Florida Big Bend will remain dry again today, with rain chances around 10% to account for any stray shower that may develop along the sea breeze this afternoon. Eastern Big Bend areas, near the Suwannee River, and Northeast Florida will have a slightly higher chance for rain today. Coastal Northeast Florida areas and inland locations north of I-10 will likely also remain dry, but interior and western areas of the northern Peninsula, including the southeast Big Bend, will have the best chances for seeing scattered showers and a few thunderstorms developing this afternoon along the sea breezes. Activity will decrease around sunset and will likely end by midnight.

The highest rain chances statewide will exist across Central Florida today as higher moisture values moving in from the Atlantic will promote the development of scattered to occasionally numerous showers and thunderstorms moving inland along the east and west coast sea breeze. Showers will likely begin to develop along the Atlantic coast this morning but will move slowly inland past I-95 around midday. The Gulf coast sea breeze will develop a little later than the Atlantic sea breeze today and most shower activity near the coast will hold off until early to mid afternoon as the boundary moves inland. Showers and storms will increase in coverage and intensity through the afternoon over interior areas, with the best chance for numerous storms late this afternoon through this evening along and just west of US-27 as the Gulf and Atlantic coast sea breezes merge. Across South Florida, isolated showers will move eastward this morning and then concentrate over Southwest Florida this afternoon and evening.

No severe weather is expected today, but slow storm movement will allow some of the stronger storms to produce up to 2-3 inches of rain over isolated locations today. Also, brief gusty winds up to 35mph and frequent lightning strikes are possible in any of the afternoon storms. Most shower activity will either dissipate or move offshore by midnight, and only a slight chance of rain will remain near coastal areas throughout the night.

East winds will result in a moderate risk of rip currents along Southeast Florida beaches today while the remainder of the state has a low risk of rip currents. You can view a rip current forecast for your local beach by clicking here.

At 8am EDT Thursday, Tropical Storm Igor was still located over 3,700 miles from Florida, about 50 miles south of the Cape Verde Islands. Maximum sustained winds are near 40mph, but Igor is expected to strengthen and could become a hurricane by Sunday. Though Igor is nearly stationary, drifting north around 2mph, the forecast track brings Igor steadily westward through the next 5 days across the Atlantic waters. Elsewhere, a tropical wave just east of the Windward Islands is showing signs of organization and now has a 40% chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 2 days.Click here for the latest updates from the National Hurricane Center.