ORLANDO, Fla. – We’re tracking a system off the Atlantic coast that could bring tropical downpours, gusty winds and the risk of localized flooding across Central Florida, prompting the News 6 Weather Team to designate a Weather Alert Day.

Weather Setup

A weak area of low pressure, dubbed Invest 93L, was just off Florida’s east coast early Tuesday and is getting a little more organized.

The National Hurricane Center is keeping a close eye on it, giving it a 40% chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next two to seven days.

Regardless of its development, Central Florida will still see impacts through the day as the low slides west over the area and into the Gulf.

Tuesday

Widespread rain coverage (80-90%) is expected with some areas seeing multiple rounds of downpours. While many locations will pick up around an inch or less of rain, localized totals could reach up to 3-4 inches, especially along the eastern side of the state.

On top of the heavy rain threat, there’s also enough instability in the atmosphere to support isolated thunderstorms that could produce gusty winds (40-50 mph).

Thanks to the thick cloud cover and rain, high temperatures will stay in the mid- to upper 80s, while still feeling muggy.

Mid-Week

By Wednesday, the low moves into the northeast Gulf, but that doesn’t mean we’re done with the rain. In fact, Wednesday and Thursday still look more active than usual, with coverage remaining at 70-80% as tropical moisture lingers.

Storms could be stronger on Wednesday, especially with more sunshine helping to fire up the atmosphere. Expect frequent lightning, heavy rain and wind gusts up to 50 mph in the strongest storms.

Weekend

As we head into Friday and the weekend, the pattern begins to shift back to normal. A ridge of high pressure builds in, helping to bring back our usual mix of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, mainly driven by the sea breeze.

Temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s each afternoon, with heat index values potentially reaching 100 to 106 degrees.