Florida
Hot air: Heat index to hit 105 degrees in Central Florida this weekend
ORLANDO, Fla. – A large cluster of storms continues to travel across the Florida Panhandle, sparking several severe thunderstorm warnings Friday morning.
Some of that energy could hold together through mid-morning and potentially clip northwestern counties of Central Florida, including Marion, Lake and Sumter. For this reason, rain chances remain slightly higher at 40-50% into the afternoon for those counties.
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Later in the day, added moisture and instability from this area will help fuel a few scattered showers along the sea breeze. Rain chances elsewhere in Central Florida remain low at 20-30%.
For those not seeing much rain, expect another very hot day, with highs returning to the mid-90s and feeling closer to 100 degrees.
Forecast models are in a bit of disagreement as we head into the weekend ahead of an approaching cold front. Some models show another ball of energy emerging from the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, increasing rain chances by late morning, while other models continue the typical sea breeze driven storms later in the day.
With this uncertainty, we will keep a 40-50% shot for rain and storms on Saturday. Along with more storms, highs will heat up even further — into the upper 90s, with heat indices at 100-105 degrees.
By Sunday, a surface cold front will approach the area and looks to bring our best opportunity at widespread rainfall, with coverage at 70-80%. Don’t be surprised to see a few storms becoming strong to marginally severe. With additional rain and clouds, temperatures should remain cooler in the upper 80s.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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