Blistering Heat In Tampa Bay’s Weekend Forecast

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents and visitors with outdoor plans over the weekend may want to brace for steamy conditions. The National Weather Service is forecasting a string of days with highs in the low 90s and heat index values at or near 100 degrees. On the upside, sunshine is more or less a part of the weekend forecast with a few thunderstorms thrown in for good measure.

Friday is expected to kick things off with mostly sunny conditions throughout the day in much of the region. Forecasters, however, say the day’s high will break the 90-degree mark with a feels-like temperature around 100 degrees. Storms are not part of the forecast for much of the region during the daytime hours, but they are a possibility in some areas Friday night. The evening low is expected to only fall into the upper 70s.

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Saturday is expected to start off with mostly sunny skies and a high once again in the low 90s. Forecasters anticipate heat index values to once again climb to near 100 degrees. There’s a 20-percent chance for isolated storms in the overnight hours when the low should once again fall only into the upper 70s.

Sunday is expected to bring a much stronger chance for storms. The day, however, should start off with dry conditions and a high around 90 degrees in much of the Tampa Bay area. There’s a 40 percent chance for scattered thunderstorms Sunday afternoon. Storms may stick around into the overnight hours, as well. The nighttime low is once again forecast to fall into the upper 70s.

While organized, severe conditions aren't part of the weekend’s forecast, the weather service is warning that storms that do crop up could produce some hazards.

“Rain chances will slowly increase through the weekend and remain high into much of next week,” forecasters wrote in Friday’s Hazardous Weather Outlook report. “Stronger storms will be capable of producing gusty winds, heavy rain and lightning.”

Monday’s forecast is holding true to the warning. Forecasters anticipate a 50 percent chance of storms during the daytime hours on Monday. Rain chances rise to 60 percent on Tuesday.

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

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