Florida transitions to rainy season following record-warm May

Florida is getting a double dose of misery with several cities sizzling under record-breaking heat and the threat of flooding becoming a growing concern.

A transition to the rainy season is underway in Florida after the state experienced its hottest May ever in many locations.

“2024 it was a record-breaking warm May,” meteorologists at the NWS Miami office said. “Our four climate stations (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Naples) all broke their record for warmest month of May. Some sites have taken observations for over 100 years — like Miami (1895) and W. Palm Beach (1888).”

On May 29, Tampa and Orlando soared to 36 °C (97 °F), setting a new daily record for the city, while Key West tied their daily high temperature with a sweltering 33.3 °C (92 °F). On the same day, New Orleans in Louisiana also broke a daily record with a high of 34.4 °C (94 °F).

Fort Lauderdale set a record for the city at 37.2 °C (99 °F) on May 27, and Miami recorded 35.5 °C (96 °F) on May 26.

“Hot temperatures are in store to end the work week with less rain shower/storm coverage,” NWS Miami said today.

“Temperatures reach the low to mid 90s [33 – 36 °C] with heat indices in the region up to 40 – 42 °C (105 – 108 °F). A heat advisory is currently in effect for Miami-Dade, but may get expanded to other counties.”

After all these record-breaking temperatures, a surge of tropical moisture from the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico is expected to bring heavy rain and flooding to many parts of the state next week. 

While the coming week might offer a brief respite from the scorching temperatures, don’t expect a complete cool-down. Deep tropical moisture will keep things feeling muggy and uncomfortable.

The rainy season in Florida is typically divided into three phases. From late May through June, severe storms are most likely, often bringing hail, damaging winds, waterspouts, heavy rainfall, and frequent lightning. The season peaks from July to early September, when the risk of severe weather decreases but heavy rainfall, seasonal river flooding, and frequent lightning remain significant hazards.

The final phase, from mid-September to early October, sees higher rainfall variability due to potential tropical systems and early-fall cold fronts.

References:

¹ Florida Thunderstorm Season – NWS – Accessed June 7, 2024

² Florida braces for tropical downpours in wake of record-breaking heat – Fox Weather – June 6, 2024

³ New Heat Records In Florida, Texas And Louisiana: Here’s Where Else Records Have Fallen – Forbes – May 29, 2024

Mehak Kalra

Mehak is an author, content writer and social media manager. She has an experience of over four years in writing content in different niches and working with businesses all across the world.

• Mehak Kalra

  Study suggests ancient interstellar cloud collision shrank heliosphere to 0.22 AU, substantially impacting Earth
• Mehak Kalra

  Egypt sets hottest June day in African history; historic heatwave hits Cyprus
• Mehak Kalra

  Flash floods in Albuquerque arroyos result in one fatality, New Mexico
• Mehak Kalra

  Mysterious twin of STEVE aurora discovered in Norway