Puerto Rico Weather 3/9 Morning - Rip Current Statement

Good morning. Puerto Rico. I'm Michael Mosby. Step outside and you'll feel last night's rain still hanging in the air. We only picked up a trace — barely enough to measure — but it left everything thick and humid at 77 degrees. Overcast skies overhead. And those trade winds are about to pick up. Here's what you're dealing with today. San Juan sees steady easterly gusts around 17 miles an hour, pushing to 24 by midday. Head south to Ponce and those winds ramp up — gusts hitting 29 miles an hour around noon. Western towns like Mayagüez stay calmer, around 7 miles an hour. Now the temperatures. San Juan tops out at 81 degrees around noon, then cools to 76 overnight. Ponce heats up fast — 89 degrees by 1 P.M., dropping to 74 by early Tuesday. Mayagüez reaches 86 before falling to 80 in the afternoon, bottoming out at 70 overnight. Rain's scattered but persistent. San Juan sees showers from 9 A.M. Through tonight, peaking around 9 P.M. With a 50 percent chance. Southern areas get a brief break from 3 to 5 P.M. Western Puerto Rico takes the most action — showers from noon to 5 P.M., peaking at 60 percent around 3 P.M. With a quarter to half inch possible. In Critical safety note, high rip current risk continues across northern beaches through this afternoon. Stay out of the water if you're not a strong swimmer. Looking ahead — Tuesday brings scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially in the west. Wednesday stays cloudy with a 60 percent chance of rain. Thursday through the weekend, expect afternoon showers with highs in the low to mid-80s. See you this afternoon.