Orlando weather: Strong storms Friday ahead of cold front
The Brief
Strong storms are expected on Friday across Central Florida. The main impacts include gusty winds, hail, heavy downpours, and frequent lightning.
A cold front will move through the region early Saturday, bringing morning rain and storms, followed by clearing skies, cooler breezes, and milder temperatures in the mid-80s by afternoon.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Friday is a FOX 35 Weather Impact Day due to the potential for strong storms across Central Florida. Here's what you need to know.
What to expect
As you're making your way out the door on this Friday morning, it's a good idea to grab an umbrella or rain jacket. Rain chances will be picking up earlier on in the day than what we've been seeing, which could impact those hitting the roadways on the tail end of the morning commute.
Isolated downpours will gradually move in from the Gulf, which will eventually give way to scattered showers and storms this morning. These will drift east, impacting the I-75 corridor by mid to late morning.
Track live when storms move across your area using the FOX 35 Storm Tracker Radar below.
Timeline
Areas near and around the Orlando Metro can expect the best chances of rain and storms to take shape from around noon until 2 p.m. For Brevard and Volusia counties, the best chances will take shape from around 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Some of our storms could be on the strong side today as well. The main impacts include gusty winds, hail, heavy downpours, and frequent lightning. The SPC has placed all of Central Florida under a level 1 out of 5 for the risk of strong to severe storms.
Tonight: Warm and muggy conditions continue throughout the overnight. We'll be tracking our next cold front however, which will lead to increased rain chances into the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning. This will mainly be for areas well to the north and west of the Orlando Metro.
Looking ahead
A cold front is expected to move through the region early Saturday morning, beginning in the northwestern portion of the viewing area around 4 a.m. and reaching the Orlando metro area by approximately 8 a.m.
Brevard and Osceola counties can expect to see rain around 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Rainfall associated with the front will taper off for much of the region by the early afternoon, with conditions expected to improve significantly by 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Heavy rainfall will be possible with this round of rain and storms, with gusty winds and hail possible. Behind the front, cooler and breezy conditions will settle in for the remainder of the day.
Temperatures will be noticeably milder, with afternoon highs in the mid-80s. Overall, Saturday afternoon looks to be in good shape for outdoor plans as the front clears the area and drier air moves in, bringing an end to the rain.
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 May 30, 2025.
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