Below-average temperatures, scattered storms Thursday; tracking Fiona

High temperatures will reach the upper 80s and low 90s under mostly cloudy skies. High humidity will still bring many spots “feels like” temperatures in the upper 90s during peak heating.

Boaters can expect pleasant water conditions, given they can avoid our storm chances. One- to two-foot Gulf wave heights and a light chop within our bays are expected.

Scattered thunderstorms are back in Thursday’s forecast. Stray showers will be possible along the coastline Thursday morning, with most of our storms holding off until after lunchtime. Isolated early afternoon rain chances will become scattered into the late afternoon and evening. These should quickly weaken after sundown. Lightning, gusty winds, and isolated flooding are the main hazards of our strongest thunderstorms. Severe weather is not expected.

There is only one named storm in the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Fiona is expected to maintain its tropical storm status into next week as it moves near or through Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands over the next few days. Land interaction and high shear will likely keep the storm from rapidly strengthening. If Fiona strengthens, it would pull farther to the north. If it shows signs of weakening, the cyclone would likely stay on its westward track for longer, potentially moving further south than its current track.

Our latest weather model guidance has been in favor of the system turning north prior to reaching Cuba. However, this is just a trend and there is still disagreement about where Fiona will go next week. Potential impacts on the U.S. cannot be completely ruled out. The Weather Authority will continue to bring you updates on this system’s latest forecasts. There are currently no other named storms or disturbances in the Atlantic.