Our overall dry weather pattern will continue this week. The brief cool spell will give way to milder temps. again with just a few minor fluctuations. A few showers will occur Wed. night-Thu. but amounts will be insignificant. Another disturbance Sun. night-Mon. looks to go quite a bit to the north so amounts with that system will likely be light. Mild temps. Tue.-Wed. will be tempered by clouds & the few showers Thu. then onshore flow will drop temps. a few more degrees Fri. Another shot of mild temps. for the weekend though onshore east winds will keep temps. cooler at & near the coast.
This week is "Severe Weather Awareness Week" -- click
here for more info.
** Monday: Lightning
With an average of 1.4 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes each year, no other state in the country experiences more lightning strikes than Florida. Lightning is very dangerous and can travel as far as 10 miles from a thunderstorm! So while it may not be raining at your location, lightning can still reach you. The key to remaining safe from a lightning strike is to keep an eye to the sky and watch for darkening skies on the horizon along with distant rumbles of thunder. The two main tips to remember about lightning safety are: being outside is never safe during a thunderstorm and if you can hear thunder, then you are close enough to be struck by lightning! Always remember the 30/30 rule: Go inside if you hear thunder within 30 seconds of a lightning flash. Wait at least 30 minutes after you hear thunder before going back outside.** Tue.: Marine Hazard & Rip Currents
Year-round warm weather and abundant sunshine attract millions of people to Florida to dive, snorkel, swim, ski, fish, cruise, or sail each year. Fair weather and fine seas treat Florida beachgoers to very agreeable conditions most of the time. However, weather and water can change rapidly. Dangerous rip currents, waves, lightning, and waterspouts are among the marine hazards facing anyone who enjoys Florida’s beaches. Rip currents are especially dangerous to swimmers because they can pull unprepared swimmers away from shore and into deeper offshore waters.** Wed: Tornadoes & T'Storms
Thunderstorms are one of the most exciting types of weather and Florida has more of them than anywhere else in the United States and North America. All thunderstorms are considered dangerous because they contain lightning and can also produce damaging winds, heavy rain which may cause flooding, tornadoes and hail. Florida tornadoes come in all shapes and sizes, and can occur year-round, although most occur in the summer during the afternoon. Florida is also home to nearly 300 waterspouts each year, which are tornadoes that occur over water. ** Thu.: Hurricanes & Flooding
The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1st and continues through November 30th. Although the number of tropical storms and hurricanes typically peaks during August and September, it is important to remember that Florida can be impacted by tropical weather systems any time during the six-month-long season. Hurricanes and tropical storms can bring very dangerous weather to areas near the coast, including strong winds, storm surge and coastal flooding, flooding from heavy rain, and tornadoes. For those away from the immediate coastline, inland flooding and tornadoes are often the most hazardous impacts from these systems.** Fri.: Temp. extremes & Wildfires
While wildfires can start at any time of the year, Florida sees a peak of activity during the early part of the year – beginning in January and continuing until the onset of more frequent rain during the wet season, usually in early to mid-June. A typical year in Florida will see over 4,600 fires burn nearly 110,000 acres of land. Florida is also home to a wide variety of temperatures that can reach dangerous levels. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was 109 degrees Fahrenheit and the coldest temperature recorded in Florida was minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit.Click
here for a severe weather awareness guide from the Fl. Division of Emergency Management.
My wife & I just returned from a fantastic & relaxing long weekend at Jekyll Island, Ga. Photos below include a sunset over the intracoastal...the 2nd photo is the historical clubhouse followed by a photo of an oak tree-lined street in the historical district...the last photo is a loggerhead sea turtle being worked on at the sea turtle sanctuary. We're convinced that Jekyll Island is one of the local best kept secrets with a fascinating history centered around an exclusive club from the late 1800s through the early years of WWII. Many of the buildings remain & have been refurbished. The club was made up of the likes of Rockefeller, Jennings, Pulitizer, Morgan, Goodyear & many more. The club was most active from Jan.-March as an exclusive winter retreat. Outside of the historical district which includes tours & insightful plaques, are golf courses, miniature golf, horse riding, excellent bike trails, hiking, fishing, beaches, a very interesting sea turtle sanctuary & a (seasonal) water park. It does cost $5 per car to get on the island, but if you think prices for gas, food, restaurants & hotels might be high because it's an island, thing again. We found very reasonable prices wherever we went. After a moratorium of sorts on building hotels, a new Hampton Inn & Suites offers clean & fun lodging & a couple new hotels will be built soon. Check out beautiful Jekyll Island -- click
here &
here.
