First Warning Forecast
Heavy rain is with us again this afternoon as scattered showers and storms flare up across the area. No severe weather is expected, but your chances of getting hit by rain will be between 2pm and sunset.
Saturday will look very similar to today. We will again see a mix of clouds with scattered showers and storms, mainly in the afternoon to early evening. Highs will warm to the mid and upper 80s with a heat index in the low to mid 90s.
Sunshine will mix in on Sunday along with lower rain chances. Much warmer with highs near 90 and heat index values in the mid 90s. A mainly dry stretch next week with only isolated shower or storm chances, but the trade off will be more heat and humidity.
Today: Mix of Clouds, Scattered Showers/Storms. Highs in the mid 80s. Winds: E/SE 5-10
Tonight: Mix of Clouds, Scattered Showers/Storms. Lows in the mid 70s. Winds: SE/S 5-10
Tomorrow: Mix of Clouds, Scattered Showers/Storms. Highs in the upper 80s. Winds: S/SW 5-10
Weather & Health
Pollen: Low-Medium (Ragweed, Grasses)
UV Index: 8 (Very High)
Air Quality: Good (Code Green)
Mosquitoes: Extreme
Today in Weather History (NWS Wakefield)
August 21st
1969 Flooding: Crest Richmond Westham 24.91' (Camille)
2007 Thunderstorm Wind Damage: Prince Edward, Amelia, Nottoway, Hanover, Henrico, City of Suffolk, City of Virginia Beach, Isle of Wight, Chesapeake
Tropical Update
Tropical Storm Warnings issued for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Tropical Storm Laura is centered about 175 miles ESE of the northern Leeward Islands and moving west at 18 mph. On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move near or over the northern Leeward Islands later today, near or over Puerto Rico Saturday morning, and near the northern coast of Hispaniola late Saturday and early Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
Tropical Depression Fourteen expected to strengthen as it moves toward the Yucatan Peninsula. TD 14 is centered about 180 miles east-northeast of Isla Roatan, Honduras and moving NW at 14 mph. On the forecast track, the center of the depression will move away from the coast of Honduras today and will approach the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on Saturday. The center will then cross the northeastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula Saturday night and move over the central Gulf of Mexico toward the northwestern Gulf on Sunday and Monday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm later today. The system is forecast to be near or at hurricane strength when it reaches the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico late Saturday. Some weakening is expected as it moves over the Yucatan Peninsula Saturday night. Restrengthening is forecast on Sunday as it moves offshore and enters the southern Gulf of Mexico.
We are tracking a tropical wave located just off of the west coast of Africa. This wave is expected to move farther offshore over the far eastern tropical Atlantic today. Conditions are expected to be conducive for some development over the next few days, and the system could become a tropical depression before environmental conditions become less favorable for development early next week.
* Formation chance through 48 hours: Low (20%)
* Formation chance through 5 days: Medium (30%)
