TAMPA, Fla. – Independence Day in the Tampa Bay area will bring a mix of heavy holiday downpours and intense summer heat. Forecasters say that showers and thunderstorms are likely on Saturday, tracking mostly between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Despite a 60% chance of rain, the day will stay mostly sunny outside of the storms, pushing the high temperature near 92 degrees. However, when combined with the region’s high humidity, real-feel heat index values are expected to peak as high as 103 degrees.
Winds will start calm before shifting to the southwest at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Total daytime rainfall amounts should average between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, though localized totals could be significantly higher inside individual thunderstorms…