Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Perfectly pleasant: Low humidity, temperatures won’t last as rain season approaches
A low-pressure system off Florida’s east coast is keeping temperatures and humidity down and keeping the rain away, but it’s also creating windy conditions and rip current advisories for beachgoers, especially in Palm Beach County.
If you’re thinking about going outside and enjoying temperatures in the 80s, go for it. But if you’re thinking about swimming, the 15 mph winds that could gust to 25 mph might make you want to re-consider.
“It’s kind of conflicting,” said National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto. “The waves are going to be good, but there is also with that the risk of the rip currents. I definitely wouldn’t advise swimming.”
High temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday should be in the low 80s. Low temperatures are forecast for the upper 60s and low 70s, very comfortable levels.
The low pressure system is ushering in dry conditions with low rain chances on its north and northeast breezes.
The rain chances increase slightly beginning Tuesday night.
“We’re going to have a chance of showers again mainly along the east coast in Palm Beach and Broward starting [Tuesday night] and kind of linger basically through the weekend,” Rizzuto said.
The forecast changes a bit heading into the weekend.
Rain chances increase to about 30% as the wind shifts to more of a south-southeasterly direction that brings more rain and humidity.
The start of the rainy season is typically regarded as May 15 (Sunday) and June 1, and there was an indication of that over the weekend as rains helped douse the three Everglades wildfires that burned more than 35,000 acres.
But South Florida isn’t scheduled to remain in that territory for the next few days.
“It is coming,” Rizzuto said of rainy season. “But this week I wouldn’t say it’s a typical wet season week. But as we head into the later May stages and June, there’ll be a lot more days where we see those typical afternoon thunderstorms pop up.
“We’re seeing little signs it is definitely on the way, but we’re not quite there yet.”