Orlando weather: Central Florida scorches under another Heat Advisory as summer temperatures break records

Hurricane Ernesto to become major hurricane: NHC

Hurricane Ernesto formed Wednesday morning north of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by Friday before it passes "very near" to Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The big story for Central Florida is the issuance by the National Weather Service of yet another Heat Advisory. It's been much hotter this summer compared to normal with nearly two dozen heat advisories issued this summer alone, compared to only nine during the 22 years between 2000-2022.

These are issued when feels-like temperatures reach 108-112°.

We've averaged 2-4° above normal for most days this summer, putting us over the edge on those heat advisory thresholds.

Our rain chances for the next few days will range from 40%-60% with a break in the action Friday and Saturday in an almost dry setup, but the heat, humidity and rain return early next week.

While some folks may flock to the beach on Friday and Saturday in storm-free conditions, they'll encounter potentially hazardous rip currents from a distant passing Hurricane Ernesto.

Tracking the Tropics

Ernesto is a tropical storm but expected to become a hurricane later Wednesday morning, as it induced flash flooding across the eastern third of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

This isn't much of a wind impact at all for Puerto Rico, but it will dump over a foot of rain and with mountainous terrain, that could lead to some major issues.

The future hurricane is forecast to slam Bermuda early this weekend as a major Cat. 3 hurricane, with winds over 111 mph. There will be no direct impacts to Florida, but we will see wave action at our Atlantic beaches picking up, with 5-8 foot breakers, leading to deadly rip currents and long-shore currents.