Friday WX Outlook...

"Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning."

George Carlin

...Hot Conditions to Continue Along With Scattered Strong and Isolated Severe Thunderstorms This Afternoon and Evening...

Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 94. West wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

High temperatures in the lower to mid 90s will push heat indices to 100 to 105 degrees this afternoon. Exercise extreme caution when outdoors.

Scattered to numerous storms are expected to develop today mainly during the afternoon and evening as the sea breezes begin to develop and progress inland. Some storms will be strong and produce frequent cloud to ground lightning, strong and gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall. Isolated severe thunderstorms with damaging winds

will also be possible.

Today's pollen level: 2.5-Low Medium (on a scale of 1to12): predominate pollen: Grass and Oak.

Forecast Details: 500-mb low along the Carolina Coast and associated vortex lobe across northeast Florida slowly moves northeast and gradually shears out. Drier air aloft (above 700-mb) moves from the north which helps limit coverage and intensity of storms across the far northwest zones. However, by late afternoon/early evenings models indicate moisture sharply increases across inland areas of northeast Florida especially west of the US 301 corridor where sea breeze collision will occur. This collision in combo with light steering flow and mid level impulses dropping south will probably lead to numerous storms again across the interior of northeast Florida and have highest chances there this afternoon/evening. Main concerns will be lightning, strong and possibly damaging winds and locally heavy rainfall of 2+ inches possible. The combo of high temperatures in the lower to mid 90s and dew points in the lower to mid 70s across inland northeast Florida will yield heat indices of 100-105 degrees there. The drier air in the far northwest zones will help keep heat indices there just below the century mark.

Spotters Are Requested To Self-Activate If Warnings Are Issued.

For more weather information go to NWS/JAX at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/