May 20, 2009

Florida's rain is shifting north


Florida's heavy rain threat is slowly shifting nothward up the Sunshine State, lashing it from the Space Coast to the Georgia border.

Already, several inches of rain have fallen with several more inches of rain possible before the end of the week.

The target for the heaviest bands of rain will shift northward into north Florida, which could see 3 to 5 inches of rain today. Locations that could see these heavy bands include Jacksonville and Daytona. Further south, another inch of rain is likely across central and south Florida, with about a half-inch in the Miami area.

Very heavy rainfall has already doused Florida this week. Since Sunday, Palm Coast has seen 12.20 inches of rain, with a WeatherBug Live Tracking Station in Debary receiving 10.03 inches of rain. Daytona Beach has totaled 9 inches of rain since Sunday.

This much rain is likely to cause localized flash flooding, so use caution driving, and avoid traveling through standing water, as it is likely higher and moving faster than it appears. Remember: Turn Around, Don't Drown!

The cause of the soaking rain and downpours is a combination of a degrading cold front and a low pressure swirling in the the southern par of the state. With the front and moisture not going anywhere for the next few days, periodic downpours and thunderstorms will continue from central Florida to the tip of the Peninsula through the latter half of the week.

With heavy rain expected to continue across central Florida, through the end of the week, it could impact the ongoing Space Shuttle flight. The unsettled weather could require the Space Shuttle Atlantis to divert to Edwards Air Force Base, California, to land on Friday.

Aside from the rain, a strong pressure centered off the Mid-Atlantci Coast combined with a low pressure off southern Florida wil produce strong east to northeast winds across northen Florida.
Already, winds have gusted to 60 mph at Ponce Inlet, Florida, and 51 mph at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Wind Advisories are in effect across north Florida, including the Jacksonville area.

WeatherBug - May 20, 2009 8:53 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment