With eyes on the tropics, Daytona forecast calls for typical mix of sun, showers

DAYTONA BEACH — Despite the likely development of a tropical depression or storm in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico in coming days, the weekend forecast calls for the typical mix of sunshine and showers at the World’s Most Famous Beach.

There’s a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Friday under mostly sunny skies, with a high near 88, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. The rain chance increases to 30% on Friday night, with a low around 72.

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On Saturday, the outlook calls for a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with partly sunny skies and a high near 83. Winds from the east at 5-10 mph are expected to increase to 15-20 mph in the afternoon with gusts as high as 25 mph.

There’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday night, with a low around 75.

Probability of showers and thunderstorms diminishes to 30% on Sunday under mostly sunny skies, with a high near 85. Northeast winds of 15-20 mph are predicted, with gusts as high as 25 mph. There’s also a 30% rain chance on Sunday night, with a low around 74.

Tropical depression likely to form in the Gulf

In the tropics, meanwhile, a broad area of low pressure over the northeastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula continued to produce a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms on Thursday over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and Yucatan Peninsula, the National Weather Service reported.

Despite strong upper-level winds, this system is likely to become a tropical depression or tropical storm while it moves slowly toward the northeast over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and southeastern Gulf of Mexico during the next day or two, according to forecasters.

If the system becomes a storm, it would be Alex, the first name in the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season name list.

The National Weather Service on Thursday advised that interests in western Cuba, the Florida Keys and the Florida Peninsula should monitor the progress of this system.

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Regardless of development, areas of heavy rainfall are likely across portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba during the next day or so. Heavy rains also are likely to spread across southern and Central Florida and the Florida Keys and the northwestern Bahamas through Saturday.

These heavy rains could cause scattered to numerous flash floods across South Florida and the Florida Keys, according to the National Weather Service.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach weekend forecast calls for typical sun, showers