Orlando weather: Warm temperatures and possible rain as people take to the voting polls

ORLANDO, Fla. - TODAY: 

Election Day is here, and it's a warm and muggy start to the day. 

Temperatures will remain above normal today with highs in the mid 80s for both the coast and inland areas. 

Scattered showers will also be possible today as our easterly flow persists. Plan for a 30-40% chance of rain, with best chances near the coast. 

A few of these downpours will be on the heavier side, so it's a good idea to have the rain gear on standby. Winds will be a little on the breezy side too, with gusts up to 20-25 mph.

THIS WEEK: 

Wednesday is a FOX 35 Weather Impact Day as Tropical Storm Raphael steers to the northwest of Florida into the Gulf of Mexico. 

This will help bring scattered heavy rain, winds of 35 mph+, and the low risk of tornadoes. 

The best chances of these impacts will be for our western counties. Impacts could linger into the early parts of Thursday as well. 

By the end of the week, rain chances will taper off with highs staying above normal.

TROPICS: 

Tropical Storm Raphael will continue to strengthen over the very warm Caribbean over the next 24–36 hours, where it will reach category 1 strength. 

On the current forecast track, it will move over Cuba and steer away from Florida and into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 

It will encounter a much less favorable environment, with cooler waters and a good amount of upper-level wind shear. This will prevent the storm from further organization and strengthening, before eventually weakening back into a Tropical Storm ahead of landfall, which looks to take place over the Louisiana coast.