​4th Of July Weather: Blistering Heat, Storms In Tampa Bay's Forecast

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents and visitors looking forward to a long weekend in honor of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday may find the weather leaves a little to be desired. Thunderstorms are likely most days with highs expected to soar well in the 90s. On the upside, rain may clear out in time for the fireworks on Tuesday.

According to the National Weather Service, Friday should kick things off with sunny conditions during the morning and afternoon hours. The day’s high is expected to hit 93 degrees or more as the afternoon rolls on though. With a heat index anticipated to reach 105 degrees, people in the region will want to take care if venturing outdoors for long periods of time on Friday.

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Scattered thunderstorms are likely heading into the afternoon hours Friday, with forecasters saying activity should pick up mainly after 2 p.m. Storm chances stick around into the overnight hours when the low will only fall into the upper 70s.

Saturday may bring an earlier start to the storms, but no break from the heat is expected. Forecasters say there’s a 30 percent chance of storms after 11 a.m. The day’s high is forecast to hit the low 90s with a heat index value expected to reach about 104 degrees. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are in the overnight forecast with a low in the upper 70s expected.

Sunday is expected to kick off with partly sunny skies and a high in the low 90s. Rain chances during the daytime hours are forecast at 50 percent. Scattered showers and storms are possible heading into the overnight hours when the low will once again drop into the upper 70s.

Monday morning might start off with wet conditions. Forecasters say there’s a 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in much of the region after 8 a.m. Those early showers, however, are not expected to cool things off. The day’s high is anticipated to once again hit the low 90s. Rain chances drop heading into the overnight hours with a low around 78 degrees anticipated.

Weather service forecasters say there’s a 60 percent chance of showers during the daytime hours on July 4. The high on Independence Day is expected to climb into the low 90s. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are also expected in the overnight hours. Chances do drop to about 30 percent, which means some areas may have smooth sailing for fireworks shows. Mostly cloudy skies may get in the way of long-distance visibility though. The overnight low is again expected to fall only into the balmy upper 70s.

Strong chances for storms and temperatures in the 90s are expected to continue into the workweek ahead.

While forecasters do no expect organized, severe weather over the holiday weekend, they are warning that some storms could deliver hazardous conditions. Forecasters say locally heavy rain, strong wind gusts and frequent lightning are not out of the question.

For an extended forecast in your neighborhood, visit your local Patch’s homepage.

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