Live Radar Update: Elevated Severe Storm Risk in Central Florida – Key Developments to Monitor

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Daytona 500 on Sunday successfully avoided any rain disruption after organizers decided to start the race an hour earlier due to potential severe weather looming over Central Florida.

Weather predictions indicate that the most severe conditions are expected to hit the area between 6 and 8 p.m., giving residents a clear timeline to prepare.

This early adjustment provides an advantageous window for individuals to find shelter before the anticipated downpour begins.

Despite it being a Sunday, traffic in Central Florida is anticipated to be heavy, largely due to the race. Drivers should take extra caution to avoid being caught in the expected intense rain or thunderstorms, especially on busy routes like I-4.

Today’s weather forecast shows an increased risk of severe conditions, particularly in the northern counties. Classified as a level 2/5 risk, there is potential for scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, some of which could persist beyond a brief period. It is crucial to be prepared for these extended weather impacts.

The rest of us are still bathed beneath a level 1/5 marginal risk for severe weather. While the threat becomes a lot more localized and isolated south and east of say, Sumter and Lake counties, we should still anticipate the arrival of gustier winds, lightning, and heavier rainfall pockets.

A decent chunk of your Sunday will be pretty swell. A bit breezy, and noticeably muggier, but we won’t start to see conditions go downhill until the sun begins to set.

Right now for our northwestern folks, we begin to see the onset of our stronger storms between 6-8 p.m.

For the Orlando metro area, and our four corners counties, the arrival is looking around 10 p.m. – midnight.

If you happen to catch some gnarly weather pics or video in your neighborhood, please share them with us on Clickorlando.com in the PinIt! section HERE.

Now, at this point since we’re about four or so hours after sunset, these storms will start to lose their punch. It’s the warmth of the sun, and what energy they can pull in off our coastlines that will help keep the risk for stronger thunderstorms elevated.

After a certain hour, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so.

Finally, around 2 a.m. we see drastic improvements as our line of rain and storms pushes south of our area. We’ll see a period of elevated winds as some cooler air rushes in back behind the cold front.

But overall into Monday morning, it won’t be a cool down or anywhere close to the freezes we’ve witnessed earlier this month.

Our morning lows will settle down to the upper 40s up north and low 50s across Orlando. Then Monday afternoon will be comfortable in the mid 70s, and this is likely to carryover into Tuesday.

We’ll be back to warming up consistently once again through the workweek ahead. Unfortunately, this means we’ll also go back to a period of no rainfall whatsoever.

It does look like there’s hope of another cold frontal system coming down towards us as we get ready for the last few days of February that might bring us some more beneficial rain. Before we begin to examine the chances there, I want us to safely get through Sunday night together.