Slow-moving rainstorm to douse Florida drought, wildfire risk this week
Rain will bring much-needed drought relief to Florida this week, but repeated thunderstorms may lead to localized flooding, while strong onshore winds create dangerous surf and rip current risks along Atlantic beaches.
The Sunshine State was full of wet, windy weather on April 8, but after worsening drought conditions, Floridians were glad to see it.
Rain has returned to Florida this week, bringing more than just the usual spotty showers and thunderstorms. The rain will help green up the landscape, reduce wildfire risk and begin to ease the state’s extensive drought.
"Our team of forecasters expects 2-4 inches of rain along the Florida Atlantic coast and across much of South Florida through Thursday, which will be good news for areas under severe to extreme drought," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. "However, some locations could see repeating thunderstorms deliver 4-8 inches of rain, which will lead to flooding in poor drainage areas."
The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ rainfall forecast for this week is 12 inches.
As of Thursday morning, the stormy pattern in Florida has delivered 6.63 inches of rain to Vero Beach, 6.27 inches to Cape Canaveral, and 5.89 inches to West Palm Beach.
Rain to ease Florida's drought
Some parts of Florida have received only one-quarter to one-third of their average rainfall since Jan. 1. Nearly 80% of Florida is experiencing the two most severe categories of drought, and almost the entire state is affected by at least some level of drought. The state is experiencing its worst drought in 25 years.
The most extreme conditions are in the northern counties, where streams and river levels are very low. The severe drought conditions extend into southern Georgia as well.
Much of the southeastern United States is experiencing conditions ranging from abnormally dry to extreme drought. Since this week’s rain will bypass most areas north of Florida, drought conditions will likely worsen amid dry, breezy weather, increasing the risk of wildfires.
Conditions are expected to remain mostly dry during the 2026 Masters at Augusta National in Georgia.
Beach hazards this week
Conditions will be rough along Atlantic beaches much of this week, with onshore winds averaging 15-30 mph with higher gusts.
"This long-duration onshore wind event will bring rough surf and dangerous rip currents as many people vacation in the state and locals return to the beaches," Anderson said.
"Beach erosion and minor street flooding are possible, especially around high tide, including in Miami. Fortunately, the King tides, the highest astronomical tides of the year, do not occur until the third week of the month," Anderson added.
The weather will dry out and the sky will trend mostly sunny this weekend over the Florida Peninsula. However, an easterly breeze may remain strong enough to keep surf rough and tides elevated. Spotty showers may linger on Saturday in the southeast part of the Peninsula.
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