Wednesday Will Be Partly Cloudy, Scattered Showers, Breezy, Hazy, 87°F – EXCESSIVE HEAT, SAHARAN DUST –
Updated 6/23/26 at 2:37 p.m. AST
Weather updates are posted by Jesse Daley, who has been reporting on weather for the Source since 2022 and holds an Undergraduate Certificate in Weather Forecasting from Pennsylvania State University.
VI SOURCE WEATHER UPDATES
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! VI Source article: 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Officially Begins as Forecasters Urge Continued Preparedness
WEDNESDAY’S WEATHER FORECAST: 6/24/26
Happy Wednesday!
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the weather in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday is forecast to be partly cloudy, with a chance of scattered showers. The sky will be hazy as Saharan dust will increase across the islands. The temperature is forecast to rise to around 87°F (30.5°C), and the heat index is expected to continue to be high; heat alerts could be issued. Winds will be gusty, coming from the east, at approximately 18 to 20 mph. The chance of rain on Wednesday is 30%. While a tropical wave is expected to pass near the region, most of the precipitation will remain south of the local islands.
For Wednesday night, conditions are expected to be mostly clear, hazy due to Saharan dust, and with a chance of isolated showers. The low temperature is forecast to fall to about 79°F (26.1°C). Winds will be gusty, coming from the east, at approximately 20 to 22 mph, with gusts reaching 28 mph. The chance of rain on Wednesday night is 10%.
“Another pulse with moderate concentrations of Saharan Dust is forecast to arrive at the local islands by late Wednesday into Thursday. The moisture field from a weak tropical wave moving across the region by Wednesday will enhance the potential for some localized showers tomorrow across western interior Puerto Rico,” the NWS said.
Additionally, fire weather conditions could occur as dry weather continues across the islands.
Yellow = Limited Risk Orange = Elevated Risk Red = Significant Risk
Yellow = Limited Risk Orange = Elevated Risk Red = Significant Risk
Yellow = Limited Risk Orange = Elevated Risk Red = Significant Risk
Yellow = Limited Risk Orange = Elevated Risk Red = Significant Risk
Below: Infrared satellite imagery obtained at 2:10 p.m. AST on Tuesday indicates a partly cloudy sky across the USVI.
MARINE WEATHER UPDATE
National Weather Service forecasters report that wave heights on Wednesday are expected to build from between 3 and 5 feet.
The NWS provided the following details:
“At the surface, a broad surface high-pressure system over the central Atlantic will maintain moderate to fresh easterly to east-northeast winds during the day, resulting in choppy seas across most of the local waters. Therefore, small craft should exercise caution. A tropical wave arriving at the local islands by Wednesday is forecast to produce brief, strong showers over the local Caribbean waters, leading to localized hazardous marine conditions. Another pulse of moderate concentrations of Saharan Dust will return late Tuesday night, while high concentrations arrive by late Wednesday night into early Thursday and persist through Friday,” the NWS explained.
Yellow = Limited Risk Orange = Elevated Risk Red = Significant Risk
The water temperature is approximately 84°F, roughly 28-29°C.
NOAA Ocean Water Temperature Map: 6/23/26:
Risk of Rip Currents:
The NWS explained that the risk of rip currents is projected to be moderate across the USVI on Wednesday.
The NWS provided the following details:
“The risk of rip currents will remain moderate for the rest of the workweek into the upcoming week along all coastal areas. However, beachgoers are urged to exercise caution in some dangerous areas along the north-coastal areas of Puerto Rico,” the NWS said.
Clear = Low Rip Current Risk Yellow = Moderate Rip Current Risk Red = High Rip Current Risk
The NWS reminds swimmers that even when there is a lower risk of rip currents, they “can still form near structures like groins, jetties, reefs, and piers.” More information is available here.
Swimmers are encouraged to exercise caution and understand how to escape the pull of a dangerous rip current.
TROPIC WATCH
Tropical Activity:
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1, 2026, and will run until Nov. 30.
The National Hurricane Center does not expect tropical development in the next seven days.
VI Source article: NOAA Outlook Calls for Below-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season, But Preparedness Remains Critical
VI Source article covering AccuWeather’s 2026 Atlantic hurricane season forecast is available here!
Additionally, a VI Source article covering Colorado State University’s 2026 Atlantic hurricane season forecast is available here!
Super Typhoon Sinlaku recently caused extreme damage to the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Read more and learn how to help in a VI Source article here.
OBSERVATIONS
Sunrise: 5:46 a.m.
Sunset: 7:00 p.m.
Preparation for extreme weather events in the Caribbean, such as earthquakes and tropical cyclones, is important. Residents and visitors in the USVI are encouraged to stay updated on weather events on the V.I. Source Weather page and sign up for alerts from the National Weather Service and the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.
Article Series: “Extreme Weather in the Caribbean”
- Part 1: Caribbean Earthquakes and Tsunamis
- Part 2: Caribbean Volcanoes
- Part 3: Rip Currents
- Part 4: Hurricanes
- Part 5: Wildfires
- Part 6: Flash Floods
- Additional articles about earthquakes in the Caribbean are available here and here!
- From Calm to Catastrophic: The Threat of Rapid Hurricane Intensification
- Three Decades After Marilyn, Forecasting and Emergency Preparedness Have Evolved in the USVI
- Please remain prepared for earthquakes and flash flooding across the USVI.
- Three Decades After Marilyn, Forecasting and Emergency Preparedness Have Evolved in the USVI
An on-camera interview between Source weather reporter Jesse Daley and Daryl Jaschen, the director of VITEMA, is available here!
