HOT, HUMID, P.M. SCATTERED STORMS TODAY; VERY HOT 4TH OF JULY; BERYL IN CARIBBEAN… Extreme heat and humidity will continue to be a concern on this Wednesday. Air temperatures will peak in the 94-96° range with heat index values in the 105-110° range. A Heat Advisory continues for several local counties across the region. Today will be pretty much a carbon copy of yesterday with more pop-up showers and thunderstorms, primarily in the afternoon and evening hours. Not every community will have rain before the end of the day, but many will. We continue to track Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean Sea. Beryl will be a major problem for Jamaica today where a Hurricane Warning continues for the entire island.
4TH OF JULY FORECAST: P.M. STORMS & QUITE HOT AND HUMID… If you asked me to tell you what a “climatologically normal” Independence Day looks like for south Alabama and northwest Florida, it looks something like this: Sunshine throughout the day with passing cumulus clouds, a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening hours. High temperatures are typically in the 90-95° range. The difference in the climatologically normal 4th of July versus what will actually happen tomorrow is that temperatures will be above normal. Air temperatures in the 93-97° range, driving the heat index (factor of temperature plus humidity) to the 105-110° range. While not record-setting, this will certainly be one of the hottest iterations of Independence Day we have had across south Alabama and northwest Florida in awhile.
FIREWORKS FORECAST: MOST TO STAY DRY; A FEW STORMS AROUND… Most municipalities will host fireworks displays across the region tomorrow night to celebrate the 4th of July. Temperatures will be stuck in the 80s from 7PM to 10PM with high levels of humidity. There is about a 1 in 3 chance of rain and storms around tomorrow evening. MOST communities will be dry for the fireworks shows across the region, but some will have rain and storms around. It is impossible to know in advance which communities will remain dry and which will have storms around as pop-up storms are very difficult to predict with accuracy and precision.
MORE INTERMITTENT STORMS & HEAT THIS WEEKEND… No real changes to the forecast are needed. P.M. scattered thunderstorms, ample heat, and ample humidity are expected on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. High temperatures will be in the mid-90s each day with morning lows in the mid-70s. A warm, sultry air mass is expected to be in place for the duration of the weekend. P.M. pop-up thunderstorms are likely each day.
TROPICS: HURRICANE BERYL LASHING JAMAICA; IMPACTS IN YUCATAN LIKELY… Powerful Hurricane Beryl is causing significant impacts across Jamaica on this Wednesday where a Hurricane Warning continues for the entire island. Extreme wind gusts, very high waves, and torrential rainfall are ahead for Jamaica today. A Hurricane Warning is also now in effect for the Cayman Islands. A Hurricane Watch has been posted for parts of the Yucatan Peninsula. Impacts from Beryl will be possible in northern Mexico and across eastern Texas next week. Confidence is high that Beryl will be more of a problem for the western Gulf of Mexico compared to the eastern half of the Gulf. An increased risk of rip currents and high waves is expected at ALL local beaches in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and along the Florida Gulf Coast. Please heed the red flags and beach warnings this weekend into next week!
TROPICS: TROPICAL WAVE BEHIND BERYL LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP… Good news in that INVEST 96L (the tropical wave in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean), located several hundred miles to the east of the Lesser Antilles, is now much less likely to develop into a named tropical storm. The system continues to show signs that it is fading away. The National Hurricane Center gives the system a 10-20% chance of becoming a named storm while the system moves toward the Lesser Antilles. This is really good news for the Windward Islands as the recovery from Beryl continues – they do not need another tropical storm, particularly right now.
APP… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the large, yellow Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
See all the details in your Wednesday morning RedZone Weather forecast video. Have a great day!