ORLANDO, Fla. – It was an abnormally dry start in 2023, with Central Florida seeing its driest first quarter ever on record. But in a blink of an eye, many locations are now back on track, all thanks to a week’s worth of rain.
In Orlando, we have seen more rain in one week than we have seen all year.
Between May 18 and May 24, Orlando racked up 6.35″ of rain. Outside of that week, Orlando had only picked up 4.53″ over the span of four and a half months.
[RELATED: Here’s how much rain has fallen in Central Florida this week]
Drought Monitor:
This week’s rain has made a decent dent in our overall drought conditions.
Last week, the majority of the area was still under a moderate drought, with a sliver of eastern Marion and Sumter counties under a severe drought. The latest update as of Thursday morning shows most of the area is now just abnormally dry, with far western neighborhoods in a moderate drought.
And it makes sense that the weather gets a bit soggier toward the end of May, as it is also the time of the year when we transition into the rainy season.
There are three factors in play to officially call the start to rainy season.
First is the end to cold fronts. This gives sea breezes the opportunity to develop.
The second wet-season factor is the dew point temperatures, as they need to remain at least in the upper 60s.
The combination of sea breeze movement and humid air also increases the chance for daily afternoon storms, which is the third component to the rainy season.
Average start dates to the rainy season:
Orlando: May 27
Daytona Beach: May 30
Melbourne: May 28
Sanford: May 27
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