NWS: Thursday Bringing Hot Temps, Elevated Rain Chances

Daytona Beach, FL – Forecasters from the National Weather Service (NWS) say Thursday will bring hotter temps and elevated rain chances before temperatures drop again by Friday. The current forecast from the NWS office in Melbourne says a low-level ridge of pressure near Lake Okeechobee will move south as it’s nudged by a powerful storm system that’s currently moving eastward into the Deep South. For Wednesday afternoon (March 17th), temperatures are expected to peak at 86 degrees before falling to a nighttime low of 63 degrees. As Thursday (March 18th) rolls in, temperatures are forecast to peak at 90 degrees—a near record for heat—with mostly sunny conditions expected throughout much of the day. Forecasters also mentioned that a Fire Weather Watch will go into effect by noon on Thursday and end by 8 p.m. that same night. The Fire Weather Watch can be blamed on a combination of hot temps and dry ground conditions. Additionally, storm chances will increase to 30 percent Thursday night as temperatures drop to 58 degrees by the nighttime. As the week moves on, daytime temps are expected to stay around 70 degrees as nighttime temps drop to the mid to low 50s. At the moment, Friday is expected to remain dry, but Saturday and Sunday could bring rain as storm chances increase again to 30 percent both days.