Southwest Florida trades storms for sizzling heat

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (WINK) — After starting with storms near the coast, Sunday turned into a pleasant day across the I-75 corridor.

Meanwhile, inland storms near Lake Okeechobee will come to an end by around 9 PM.

Tonight, expect partly cloudy skies with overnight lows dropping into the mid-70s.

Looking ahead

A drier air mass, along with a shift in wind direction, will arrive on Monday and persist through the middle of the week. This will lower rain chances to isolated to widely scattered coverage.

Most of the storm activity over the next several days will be focused inland and toward Florida's East Coast.

Temperatures will also be on the rise, with highs reaching the mid-90s by Wednesday and continuing into next weekend. Heat index values, or "feels-like" temperatures, could climb between 105° and 110°.

Boating forecast

Boaters headed out to enjoy this Sunday will be greeted with plenty of sunshine and a few coastal storms. Winds are out of the west around 5 to 10 knots. The Gulf wave heights are at 1 to 2 feet with a light chop in our bays and inland waters. The Gulf water temperature is at a warm 88 degrees.

Tropics

In the tropics, the Weather Authority continues to monitor a disturbance in the western Gulf with a low 30% chance of development over the next seven days.

The system is currently located over eastern Mexico, but it is expected to be picked up by a cold front and move northward along the Texas coastline toward Louisiana.

Regardless of development, the primary concern will be heavy rainfall across parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. There is no threat to Southwest Florida.