Orlando weather: Fire risk elevated as severe drought continues across Central Florida
The Brief
A cold front is moving through Central Florida this morning, which has helped bring a few clouds to the region.
Temperatures throughout the day will remain on the pleasant and seasonable side, with highs in the mid-80s.
With the severe drought in place for some of our counties already, the added dry air will keep our fire risk elevated through the end of the week.
ORLANDO, Fla. - With a severe drought in place for some of our counties across Central Florida already, the additional expected dry air will keep our fire risk elevated through the end of the week.
Here's a look at what to expect from this week's weather forecast.
What To Expect
A cold front is moving through Central Florida this morning, which has helped bring a few clouds to the region.
Winds will begin to shift and move in from the north, helping to usher in drier air throughout the rest of the day.
This will keep temperatures on the pleasant and seasonable side, with highs in the mid-80s.
Near the beaches, temperatures will be closer to the mid-70s for highs.
Humidity levels will be quite low, keeping us comfortable for any outdoor plans you may have.
Why you should care
That being said, this is not good news for our fire weather.
With the severe drought in place for some of our counties already, the added dry air will keep our fire risk elevated through the end of the week.
Both wildfires and brush fires have spread across Central Florida this week, with the most recent one, dubbed the "Powerline Fire," sparking Tuesday and burning more than 270 acres in Volusia County.
What's next
Clear skies and cool temperatures set up shop overnight.
We'll see Thursday morning lows dip down into the low-to-middle-50s for most areas.
There could be a few spots across north Central Florida where temperatures slip into the upper 40s.
Dig deeper
The rest of this week features sunshine and pleasant temperatures, as highs remain right around the mid-80s.
For the holiday weekend, a large ridge of high pressure builds into the region, which will in turn heat temperatures right back up.
Highs will warm into the middle and upper 80s for the weekend, with highs likely reaching the low-90s by Monday.
Next week is when we finally start to shake things up pattern wise.
This will lead to a more active forecast, and our next round of much-needed rain for the early and middle parts of next week.
Track live when storms move across your area using the FOX 35 Storm Tracker Radar below. You can also watch as heavy rain moves across Central Florida on our Live Weather Cameras' page here.
Brevard County
Flagler County
Lake County
Marion County
Osceola County
Orange County
Polk County
Seminole County
Sumter County
Volusia County
U.S./National Radar
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The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the FOX 35 Storm Team on April 16, 2025.
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