Florida faces elevated wildfire risk, rip current dangers amid warm, dry pattern

Warmth and building drought will increase the potential of wildfires in Florida over the coming weeks, while rough surf and strong rip currents will create dangers for Atlantic coast bathers through the end of the week.

Building drought, warmth to elevate wildfire danger

Warm and dry conditions are forecast to build over much of Florida, as well as southeastern Georgia and part of coastal South Carolina.

"The period from now through early May is typically a very dry time of the year for Florida and the southeastern coast of the United States," according to AccuWeather Expert Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski.

"The number of fronts with drenching downpours tends to diminish during this period, while the high-humidity, thunderstorm season has not yet kicked in," Kottlowski said.

Rain amounts fell well short of average in a large part of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina during winter. Portions of this swath are experiencing moderate to severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

A front is forecast to press in from the northwest into this weekend. While there may be isolated downpours that may temporarily dampen the dry brush in some areas, there is the risk that lightning strikes ignite new fires.

Several wildfires in South Florida were sparked by lightning strikes earlier in March. The 116th Avenue Southeast Fire was the largest charring 8,000 acres.

Last year, a lightning strike started a major wildfire that burned for weeks in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge along the Georgia/Florida border during early April 2017. The West Mims Fire, as it was named, burned more than 130,000 acres.

While there is no way to prevent lightning-induced wildfires, people will need to use extreme caution when using outdoor power equipment and grills in the upcoming weeks.

Smokers should use an ashtray instead of tossing burning cigarettes out of their vehicle. Passing vehicles can quickly fan the embers and ignite a fire.

Never park a vehicle over dry brush as the extreme temperature of the exhaust system can start a blaze in a matter of minutes.

Even though temperatures have been averaging below normal during much of March, temperatures are still high enough and are forecast to climb in the weeks ahead to increase the wildfire ignition potential.

Any episodes of gusty winds can substantially increase the wildfire ignition and rapid spread on a particular day.

Rough surf, strong rip currents to persist along southern Atlantic coast

While the risk of wildfires will continue in the long term over the region, bathers along the Atlantic coast from Florida to South Carolina and the British Virgin Islands should use extreme caution when venturing into the surf through Friday.

This is a time of the year when many college students take a spring break and families spend vacation along the warm beaches of the southern U.S. and the Caribbean.

The latest offshore storm, now north of Bermuda, will continue to act like a giant plunger and send waves outward by 1,000 miles or more, according to Kottlowski.

The distant storm will cause large waves and create strong rip currents along the southeastern Atlantic coast of the U.S. and the islands of the northeast-facing beaches of the Bahamas and the north-facing beaches of the Caribbean islands into the end of the week.

Small craft operators should exercise caution, when venturing beyond the protection of the Intercoastal Waterway into this weekend.

"As this storm weakens and moves farther to the north, the large waves, rip currents and risks to bathers and boaters will diminish during Friday and this weekend," Kottlowski said.

Seas and surf should be safer for bathing and boating activities later this weekend into next week.

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