JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you’re planning to spend any time outside today, you’ll want to think twice — or at least bring water and find some shade. Temperatures across the area are expected to climb into the mid-to-upper 90s, and with humidity factored in, it’s going to feel more like 105 to 110 degrees this afternoon.
A Heat Advisory is in effect from noon until 7 p.m. for much of Northeast Florida and parts of Southeast Georgia.
Limit time outdoors, take frequent breaks, and stay hydrated. Be sure to wear light, loose-fitting clothing and have your sunscreen on. The heat will be at its worst during the afternoon hours.
Storms are on the way, too
The heat won’t be the only thing building this afternoon. Expect scattered to numerous thunderstorms to pop up today and again Thursday, especially as sea breezes push inland. The St. Johns River basin could see storm activity develop by mid-afternoon, and the heaviest storm activity is expected in north-central Florida, where multiple storm boundaries are expected to collide.
A tropical system? Maybe just a rainmaker
There’s also a low-level tropical threat worth keeping an eye on — though it’s nothing to lose sleep over right now.
A disorganized cluster of showers and thunderstorms is near the North Carolina coast. Forecasters say a broad area of low pressure could form off the Southeast U.S. coast in the next day or two, and there’s a slight chance it will gradually organize as it drifts southward and then westward.
The keyword here is slight. The chance of any formal tropical development sits at just 10% over the next seven days, and conditions are expected to become less favorable as the week goes on.
It’s worth a casual watch — but not a panic.