FOX 35 Weather Impact Day: Thursday to bring showers, flooding across parts of Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. - The FOX 35 Storm Team is declaring Thursday a Weather Impact Day. Heavy rain will be accompanied by wind gusts reaching tropical storm force strength in some areas. Flooding is a great concern for coastal communities. 

Tonight's low: 68 degrees | Tomorrow's high: 75 degrees 

Main weather concerns: We have another day of cloudy skies, passing showers, and gusty breezes. Rain coverage increases significantly. Gusty ocean breezes will gust to 35-40 mph across much of the area and could be stronger along the coast. A High Surf Advisory is in effect until further notice. A flood watch is in effect through Thursday afternoon for the coastal counties as the heaviest rain (excess of 4") could fall in those areas.

BEACHES:

It is not a good day to head to any of our east coast beaches. Passing showers and very gusty winds will continue. Coastal flooding could also occur during times of higher tides. The rip current risk remains high.

THEME PARKS:

It will be cloudy with passing showers at the theme parks today. Highs remain in the mid-upper 70s. Rain chances are around 40% with the best chance through the afternoon.

OUTLOOK:

A FOX 35 Weather Impact Day has been issued for Thursday as the heaviest rain moves across the region. Low pressure will move in from the Gulf of Mexico with a secondary low spinning up somewhere near South Florida. 

Rain chances will sharply rise in response to these features. Locally heavy rain, gusty winds-especially along the beaches and the possibility of low lying flooding will all be present over the next couple of days with a focus on Thursday. 

We could see anywhere from 1-3" possible in total through the Orlando metro with 3" or more in southern Brevard and Osceola counties.

TROPICS:

The FOX 35 Storm Team is monitoring the latest tropical models as they continue to suggest a low-pressure system will develop in the Caribbean this week and could become a tropical depression during that time. Overall trends have this system developing and moving northeastward over Jamaica, Cuba, and Hispaniola before heading out into the Atlantic by this weekend. 

We are also monitoring an area of low pressure that is expected to develop near South Florida late this week. This system is then forecast to move northeastward off the east coast of the U.S. late through the weekend.