Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) Storm Center | By Irene Sans
There will be two cold fronts pushing through Florida this week. The week starts wet for The Panhandle as rain and even a few thunderstorms will move from northwest to east-southeast Monday through Monday evening. As this first front pushes through, it will lose its moisture, and there won´t be much rain left as it moves through Central Florida, where the drought persists. The Peninsula is where an abnormal drought occurs, and it worsens in Southeast Florida, where Palm Beach, Broward, and much of Miami-Dade counties are in a severe drought.
Monday will be a hot day across the southern half of Florida. Highs across Central Florida will be between the mid- to upper 80s, while southeast Florida will likely reach 90. The winds will be from the south, providing moisture and warmth. The Panhandle will remain much cooler due to clouds and rain, with highs in the low to mid-70s.
Tuesday will be the day southeast Florida gets the needed showers and thunderstorms. It won´t be enough to put a noticeable dent in the drought, but we take anything we can get. The sea breeze and instability from the dissipating cold front north of the area will drive the thunderstorms on Tuesday. Plenty of moisture will stay on Tuesday, and highs will be in the mid-to-upper 80s.
On Wednesday morning, a few showers and thunderstorms could still linger across the southern fringe of Central Florida through South Florida.
There will be slight changes after another cold front pushes through the state on Wednesday. The humidity levels will drop slightly, but temperatures will remain above normal for this time of year. The winds from the north will not last too long. In fact, by Thursday, they will be east, as a high-pressure system will be centered over the Southeast, so the moisture will continue to stream in from the Atlantic. By the weekend, the winds will be from the southeast, so expect temperatures to climb through the weekend.
Some schools are still out on Spring Break this week. Although the seas will be much calmer overall than last week, there is still a high risk of rip currents, especially along the east coast of Florida. Swim near a lifeguard, or better yet, avoid getting in the water.
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