Conditions remain supportive of more thunderstorms today

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Adequate moisture, daytime heating, and an east wind that will keep the sea breeze pinned to the coast will all act together to bring another good chance of drive-time showers and thunderstorms.

Expect a sunny start to the day with building afternoon clouds. The clouds will lead to a few showers between 2-4 p.m. Then, starting between 4-5 p.m., showers and thunderstorms will build and it is likely that commute time this evening will be wet. The storms will be moving rapidly from inland locations to the Gulf waters. However, it is very possible that downpours of heavy rain and frequent lightning flashes will interrupt a smooth evening drive.

On Thursday, some drier air and Saharan dust will move in and stabilize the atmosphere. This will cut the rain chance by as much as two-thirds. The dry air will linger into the weekend. Dust can lead to some spectacular sunset colors in addition to suppressing rain.

The Saharan dust is also a tropical cyclone killer. So in this normally tropically clam July, the addition of the dust across the Atlantic will keep the chance for tropical systems to develop at near zero for the next five days.

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