Grab your umbrella: Stormy afternoon brings chance of hail, gusty winds across Central Florida

Our weekend is forecast to get off to a soggy start across Central Florida as strong to severe storms blow through Friday afternoon.

Channel 9 meteorologist Brian Shields said Friday’s storms could be the worst of the week so far.

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“We’ve got some storms later today. We’ve had some the past few days, but these could be even stronger,” he said.

Before the storms roll in, Shields said Central Floridians can expect a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 93.

Overall, he said, there’s a 50 percent chance of storms becoming more widespread around 3 p.m. Shields said some inland areas could get as much as 2 to 3 inches of rain.

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As heavy storms move across Central Florida, they could bring gusty winds up to 40 mph, small hail and more than 2 inches of rain in some areas.

Hot temperatures in the mid-90s are expected to stick around through the weekend, as well as a 40 percent chance of rain and storms.

Catch up on your full five-day forecast below:

Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:

• Chief meteorologist Tom Terry
• Brian Shields
• Irene Sans
• Kassandra Crimi
• George Waldenberger
• Rusty McCranie

Cox Media Group