Heat continues to be the main headline in Southwest Florida on Tuesday. However, there is brief relief coming after Tuesday. Moisture increases mid-week as a front descends into the southeast and stalls over North Florida/Georgia Wednesday into Thursday.

Tropical moisture from the Atlantic will also push over SWFL during the midweek. All the added moisture should bring much-needed rain to areas along the Gulf Coast. The Cape Haze Peninsula of Charlotte County needs it most, as a rainy-season drought is the worst there.

The rain and cloud cover should aid in keeping temperatures closer to average, at least for a couple of days. By the weekend, a ridge of High Pressure builds back in as the front begins to lift away from the Florida/Georgia line. Once the ridge is back in place, the east flow will return, and we will transition to a more typical summer pattern with sea breeze convergence storms.

Tracking the Tropics:

A tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa on Wednesday or early Thursday. Some slow development of this system is possible late this week or over the weekend while the system moves gradually west-northwestward or northwestward across the eastern Atlantic.

Another area of low pressure could develop by the middle to the latter portion of this week over the central tropical Atlantic. Some slow development of this system is also possible while it moves west-northwestward through the end of the week.

Both systems currently have a low chance of development over the next week.