Orlando weather: Storms return to Central Florida Thursday as heat index soars

ORLANDO, Fla. - A few isolated thundershowers are expected across Central Florida this evening, but activity will remain limited.

What will the weather look like tonight?

What to expect:

Isolated thundershowers over parts of Central Florida are expected to taper off this evening. Overnight lows will settle in the mid-70s, with continued high humidity.

What will the weather look like on Thursday?

Thursday will bring another round of heat, though chances of rain are on the rise. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected, particularly along the I-4 corridor and in the Orlando metro area.

The chance of storms stands at about 60 percent. Some of the storms could be strong, producing heavy downpours, small hail, vivid lightning and gusty winds.

Looking ahead:

The unsettled weather continues into Friday, with another 60 percent chance of scattered showers and storms, especially late in the day. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-90s inland, with coastal areas seeing highs in the upper 80s to near 90. Rain chances drop slightly by Saturday and into early next week, returning to near 30 percent each day.

Heat index values will consistently range from 98 to 104 degrees each afternoon across the region.

The Summer Solstice occurs Friday night at 10:42 p.m. EDT.

Tracking the Tropics

In the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Erick has rapidly intensified and is expected to become the first major hurricane on record to strike Mexico during the month of June, with landfall projected for Thursday.

The tropical Atlantic remains quiet for now, with no development expected over the next seven days — a pattern that is not unusual. On average, the first named Atlantic storm forms around June 20.