Cold front brings rain and gusty winds to Orlando area this weekend

A cold front moving through Central Florida is bringing a wet start to the weekend in the Orlando area, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Rain chances are around 60% on Saturday with scattered showers and a few storms expected, along with overcast skies through the afternoon.

Winds are increasing and will become blustery Saturday night into Sunday, with gusts reaching 30 to 40 mph. These strong winds are creating hazardous conditions at area beaches and on local waters, prompting High Surf Advisories for all East Coast beaches through early Tuesday morning.

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect due to sustained northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 35 mph. Offshore, a Gale Warning warns of gusts near 45 mph and waves building rapidly to 8 to 10 feet or higher, making boating dangerous.

The storm system will move out as high pressure builds in behind the front, leading to a drying trend with decreasing rain chances starting Sunday. A few coastal showers may linger into Monday, with only about a 20% chance of rain reaching the Orlando metro area, setting up mostly sunny and dry conditions for much of next week.

Residents and visitors are advised to exercise caution at beaches and on the water due to rough surf and strong winds this weekend, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando.