Thunderstorms for Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida

TAMPA BAY, Florida – The National Weather Service Tampa Bay forecasts increasing cloudiness with scattered to numerous mainly afternoon/evening showers and thunderstorms developing today, Saturday, May 23, 2026, across west central and southwest Florida. Best chances for rain will be from Tampa southward.

High temperatures will reach the upper 80s at the coast to lower-to-mid 90s inland with heat index values as high as 98 possible.

Moisture will remain elevated into Sunday, with a continued chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially across the southern and interior portions of the region.

Weather Outlook

The National Weather Service (NWS) Tampa Bay has issued updated forecast of scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon and evening.

The potential hazards include gusty winds, small hail, lightning, and locally heavy rainfall.

The forecast covers areas such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and northward toward the Nature Coast. Highest temperatures today will be in the interior; rain chances will be highest during the afternoon and evening hours, especially from Tampa south and westward.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to become scattered to numerous during the afternoon and evening hours today.