Tampa Bay Weekend Weather: Umbrellas Might Be Needed

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents and visitors with big outdoor plans over the weekend are likely to find the next few days won’t be a total washout, but daily rain is a strong possibility. Just when storms will move in, however, depends on where in the region a person happens to be, forecasters at the National Weather Service say.

Thunderstorms are expected daily Friday through Sunday. Forecasters expect those storms to move into the coastal areas during the late morning hours before gradually heading into inland areas in the afternoons. While no “widespread severe weather” is anticipated over the weekend, forecasters in Friday's Hazardous Weather Outlook report said stronger storms could kick up gusty winds, heavy rain and lots of lightning each day this weekend.

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Forecasters expect Friday to kick things off with a high in the low 90s in much of the region and a feels-like temperature around 100 degrees. There’s a 50 percent chance of scattered storms in the daytime hours. The overnight low is expected to only drop into the upper 70s, but mostly cloudy skies instead of rain are expected.

Saturday should kick things off with partly sunny skies and a high around 90 degrees. Forecasters say there’s a 40 percent chance for scattered thunderstorms, starting around 11 a.m. in the coastal areas and then gradually moving inland. The heat index is expected to reach about 99 degrees in much of the region. Storm chances do stick around heading into the overnight hours, but only isolated showers are expected. The low is once again forecast to only drop into the upper 70s.

Sunday is expected to bring about a 30 percent chance of storms between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Partly sunny skies with a high in the low 90s are also expected. Slight rain chances persist into the overnight hours when the low should drop into the upper 70s.

The workweek ahead is forecast to continue the typical summertime pattern of daily storms. Daily highs are expected in the low 90s.

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

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