It'll Likely Be A Rainy Father's Day In Austin Area

AUSTIN, TX — The good news is that much-needed rain to cool off the sweltering heat of late is on its way. The bad news is the rain will come on Father's Day when families are getting together to take dad out for a nice meal.

Saturday saw intermittent sprinkles in the Austin region. But the substantive rainfall is expected to come on Sunday, with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. That's according to the National Weather Service. Rainfall amounts are expected to be between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts in areas getting thunderstorms.

But we may have spoken to soon about that cooling off thing. Forecasters at the NWS predict a high of about 93 degrees but with a heat index of 103 degrees. East winds will be gentle between five miles per hour to ten miles per hour.

By Sunday night, chance of precipitation will drop to 30 percent. It will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 75. East winds will be nearly negligible at five miles per hour to 10 miles per hour.

Your work week will more than likely be rainy. It'll be a cloudy day, with a 70 percent chance of rain. By then, it will have cooled off with a high temperature of 88 degrees forecast with winds at 10 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour.

That's like a cold front given the past few days of near 100-degree weather.

The chance of rain drops to 40 percent, with overhead clouds and a low of around 74 degrees. The wind will be coming in from the east-southeast at around 10 miles per hour.

There are these collapsible contraptions called umbrellas that would come in handy on Sunday and Monday. You may want to keep these gadgets that open up to a dome-like setting as protection from the rain and other elements.

The word "umbrella" comes from the Latin root word "umbra," meaning shade or shadow. According to ThoughtCo, the umbrella became popular in the western world — particularly in the rainy climates of norther Europe — in the 16th century. It was initially considered only an accessory suitable for women until the Persian traveler and writer Jonas Hanway (1712-86) carried and used one in England for 30 years, thus popularizing the gadget among men. English gentleman often referred to their umbrellas as a "Hanway," as a result of the trend-setting writer's use of one.

But it wasn't until 1852 that the steel-ribbed umbrella design was invented by Samuel Fox, according to ThoughtCo. Before that time, umbrellas were cumbersome and difficult to fold wet. But after the steel-ribbed design by the clever Fox, collapsible umbrellas were to become the next key technical innovation arriving over a century later.

Don't let a little rain ruin your Father's Day celebration! Just drive with caution, and with a greater distance with the car in front of you. For those unafraid of a little rain, here's an Austin dining guide with restaurants offering special meals for dads on Sunday:

Austin Dining Guide For Father's Day, June 17, 2018

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