Showers drifting in off the Atlantic brushed parts of Brevard County early Saturday, but rain gauges had recorded very little by daybreak. The bigger rain, along with stronger winds, is forecast to arrive this afternoon and especially tonight.

How much rain so far

• Our station: The Space Coast Wire's weather station on the beachside near Melbourne had recorded 0.00 inches since midnight as of 5:58 a.m. Its rain rate was zero at that reading. It showed 74.7 degrees, light east-southeast wind and 68% humidity. Its strongest gust since midnight was 15.4 mph, at 12:18 a.m.
• Melbourne Orlando International Airport (KMLB): Its sensor logged only a trace of rain since midnight as of 5:53 a.m., according to Iowa Environmental Mesonet data from the airport's NWS/FAA weather station.
• Kennedy Space Center: The weather sensor at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility (KTTS) reported light rain from about 4:53 to 5:04 a.m. It measured less than a hundredth of an inch and noted distant lightning to the north.
• Patrick Space Force Base (KCOF) and Cape Canaveral (KXMR): Neither reported rain in their NWS observations through 4:55 a.m. Skies were mostly clear, with a northeast wind of about 14 mph at Patrick.

Showers like these are hit-or-miss. A neighborhood can get a quick soaking while a gauge a few miles away stays dry. The National Weather Service in Melbourne said at 3 a.m. that isolated showers had already begun over the coastal waters.

Today's forecast

According to the NWS Melbourne forecast:

• Melbourne area: A slight chance of showers after 8 a.m. (20%), otherwise sunny, with a high near 81. North-northeast wind 10 to 20 mph, gusting to 25 mph. On the beachside around Indian Harbour Beach, the chance is 30%, with gusts up to 30 mph.
• Titusville area: A chance of showers from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms (40%). Mostly sunny, high near 80. North wind 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 30 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch is expected.
• Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms become likely countywide (70%). A quarter to half an inch of rain is possible in the Melbourne and Titusville forecasts, and a tenth to a quarter inch at Indian Harbour Beach. Lows will be in the low 70s, with northeast winds gusting to 30 to 35 mph.
• Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms are likely again (70%). The Melbourne-area forecasts call for another quarter to half an inch. Northeast wind 20 to 25 mph, gusting to 35 mph.

The forecasters say coverage should increase this afternoon into the overnight hours, and bands of showers could repeatedly move over the same areas. The Weather Prediction Center has the east coast in a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 4) for excessive rainfall today, meaning minor, localized flooding is possible in a few spots. NWS gives a 20% to 30% chance of thunderstorms, with isolated lightning and occasional stronger gusts.

Alerts in effect

A Wind Advisory for mainland northern Brevard and the northern Brevard barrier islands begins at 2 p.m. It expands to southern Brevard at 2 a.m. Sunday and runs until 8 a.m. Sunday. NWS Melbourne also has a Coastal Flood Advisory in effect now, followed by a Coastal Flood Warning from 2 a.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday. A High Surf Advisory, a high rip current risk and a marine Gale Warning are also in effect. Details are in our coastal flood and rough surf story. NWS advises staying out of the ocean this weekend.

Live readings from our station are on our weather page.