FL Storms: Heavy Rainfall, Localized Flooding Forecast For Tampa Bay

TAMPA BAY — Residents in the Tampa area may want to grab umbrellas as heavy rainfall and potentially localized flooding is in the forecast for the next several days.

The downpour is expected to start overnight Wednesday and is set to sporadically continue into early next week, Ali Davis, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office, said Wednesday.

Davis told Patch the forthcoming rainfall is due to a low-pressure system currently in the northern part of the region that is moving from east to west across the southern U.S.

Furthermore, a cold front is draped from Georgia, down across the Florida Panhandle and into the Gulf of Mexico, she said.

A frontal boundary is expected to move from west to east throughout Florida, stretching from the Panhandle and toward Tampa Bay before traveling east toward the Miami and Daytona Beach area, she said.

Davis added localized coastal flooding, elevated seas and higher waves are possible. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches of rain are anticipated though higher amounts can pour into the area.

Friday afternoon should be clear of rain though showers are expected to return after 2 a.m. Saturday.

Davis said Saturday morning is the main focus for locally heavy rainfall and possibly localized flooding with isolated severe weather forecast. She noted that brief tornadoes, water spouts and brief high wind gusts of 60 mph are possible with isolated severe weather.

Sustained winds with the frontal boundary Friday night into Saturday are forecast to travel 15-20 mph while wind gusts could be around 30 mph outside of the anticipated storm.

This is the Tampa area forecast as of Wednesday afternoon from the National Weather Service:

This Afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. South wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind 7-10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: A 10 percent chance of showers before 7 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 67. North wind 8-10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. Northeast wind around 7 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Northeast wind 7-10 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon.

Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Breezy, with an east southeast wind 8-16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Saturday: Showers, mainly between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. High near 75. Windy, with a south wind 18-20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers before 8 p.m., then a slight chance of showers after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southwest wind 5-14 mph becoming west northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. North wind 8-11 mph.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Breezy.

Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Windy.

Tuesday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.