Storms predicted for Tampa Bay throughout the weekend

Keeping an umbrella nearby might be a good plan this weekend.

The National Weather Service has predicted that rounds of thunderstorms are likely this afternoon and on Sunday as a series of weather systems move into the area.

The first line of storms will likely move across north Florida and northeastern Gulf waters into the Nature Coast and parts of the Tampa Bay later this afternoon. They will be primarily north of Interstate 4 and west of Interstate 75.

There is a marginal risk that the afternoon storms will be severe.

On Sunday, a frontal boundary will move south into north Florida with showers and thunderstorms forecast to develop ahead of it, according to the Weather Service advisory.

These showers and storms will move across the Gulf waters and into the Nature Coast and Tampa Bay area late tonight and then continue to spread south and east through the day Sunday as the front drifts into the region. These also carry a marginal risk of being severe.

Meteorologist Eric Oglesby said the storms are coming from the meeting of two air masses, where there is “moist, unstable air over us right now and the air behind it is slightly drier.”

The event, however, will not result in colder or even cooler temperatures, Oglesby said.

The primary hazards with the thunderstorms will be damaging wind gusts, but hail and an isolated tornado or waterspout cannot be ruled out. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible which could cause flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas, especially over the Nature Coast and coastal counties, according to the advisory.