FXUS62 KTAE 181804 AFDTAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tallahassee FL 204 PM EDT Mon May 18 2026 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 151 PM EDT Mon May 18 2026 - Hot temperatures are expected through mid week. There is a high chance of highs at or above 90 across the area with the Florida Big Bend having a low chance of highs at or above 95. The heat may affect those who are sensitive, especially without cooling/hydration. - Isolated afternoon and early evening showers and thunderstorms continue through the next few days with coverage increasing late week into the weekend. Gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall are the main concerns with any stronger storms that develop. && .SHORT TERM & LONG TERM... (This Evening through next Sunday) Issued at 151 PM EDT Mon May 18 2026 Scattered showers and storms are beginning to develop over the Florida Panhandle early this afternoon. This should continue for the remainder of the day over mainly inland parts of the Panhandle into portions of southeast Alabama. Some of the storms this afternoon could produce strong wind gusts of 40-60 mph, locally heavy downpours, and frequent lightning. These will fade during the early to mid part of the evening with a warm and muggy night ahead. Lows area-wide will be in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Tuesday through Thursday, there will be less coverage of showers and storms overall as strong ridging builds overhead and PWATs decrease a bit. Rain chances are at most around 20-30% each day. It will be very hot, however, by May standards. Highs will be in the low to potentially mid 90s for much of the area over the next 3 days with some areas seeing heat index values nearing 100 for the first time this year. This level of heat could affect those who are sensitive to heat, such as the elderly, those with chronic health conditions, or those without access to adequate cooling or hydration. By late in the week into the weekend, the ridging will begin to shift a little bit more to the east as troughing nudges more into the Mississippi Valley and southern Plains. This will gradually pull in more moisture to our area with rain chances increasing heading into the holiday weekend. This would primarily be an increased chance of afternoon showers and storms. High temperatures will come back down to the upper 80s to lower 90s, but with the increased humidity, heat index values will still remain in the mid 90s to low 100s. Lows remain near 70. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 119 PM EDT Mon May 18 2026 A couple of showers and storms will be possible between KECP and KDHN this afternoon and early evening. Some low stratus may develop near KVLD in the early morning hours, but confidence is a bit on the lower side. Otherwise, VFR conditions are expected. && .MARINE... Issued at 151 PM EDT Mon May 18 2026 Gentle to moderate east to southeast breezes continue over the next several days. The highest winds will generally be tonight with some areas approaching cautionary levels, especially over Apalachee Bay. Otherwise, tranquil boating conditions are expected to continue through the end of the week. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 151 PM EDT Mon May 18 2026 Generally southeasterly transport winds around 10 mph will continue each day, though the afternoon sea breeze will turn winds more southerly to southwesterly as it passes through. Dispersions will be good each day across the area. Isolated to scattered showers and storms will be possible along the afternoon sea breeze. Some of these storms may produce gusty, erratic winds as well as frequent lightning strikes. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 226 AM EDT Mon May 18 2026 Isolated to scattered storms will bepossible each day through the next week. These could produce locally heavy downpours, which may lead to some nuisance flooding, mainly in urban or poor drainage areas. However, widespread flooding concerns are not expected. Extreme to exceptional drought continues across the area. While the rain is beneficial, significant improvement in drought conditions is not expected. For more information on local drought impacts, please visit www.weather.gov/tae/DroughtInformationStatement. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Tallahassee 92 70 92 70 / 0 0 10 10 Panama City 87 70 87 70 / 10 0 10 0 Dothan 90 67 89 68 / 20 0 10 0 Albany 91 67 90 68 / 0 0 0 0 Valdosta 92 66 92 67 / 0 0 10 0 Cross City 94 69 94 69 / 0 0 40 10 Apalachicola 83 73 83 73 / 10 0 0 0 && .TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...High Rip Current Risk until midnight EDT /11 PM CDT/ tonight for FLZ112-114-115. GA...None. AL...None. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Young LONG TERM....Young AVIATION...Merrifield MARINE...Young FIRE WEATHER...Young HYDROLOGY...Young