Sun Sentinel Broward Edition

South Florida swelters from odd lack of rain

It is one of the driest Junes on record

- By Ken Kaye Staff writer

Although the weather service predicted the beginning of the rainy season would be wetter than normal, it’s been anything but.

With most of the region seeing four to six inches less rainfall than normal in the past three weeks, this likely will end up being one of the driest Junes on record, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

Blame the dearth of rain on an area of persistent high pressure over the western Atlantic. It is creating a stiff easterly sea breeze, which is pushing all the showers and storms far inland or to the state’s west coast.

“Sometimes these weather systems get kind of stuck over an area, and that’s what we’re seeing here,” said meteorolog­ist Robert Molleda.

The lack of rain also is making the afternoons feel unbearably hot because in-

stead of cooling clouds and rains, the sky has been mostly sunny and blue.

“The temperatur­es really aren’t that much above normal,” Molleda said. “But with the sun beating down, readings of 90 to 92 are persisting later into the afternoon.”

Mix in humidity, which makes temperatur­es feel even hotter, and South Florida has transforme­d into a dry sauna, going back to May.

Normally, June is South Florida’s wettest month, with more than 9 inches of rainfall.

Since June 1, Fort derdale has received inches less rain than mal, Miami 5 inches Lau6.48 norless and West inches.

The rain chance increases over the weekend, when a low-pressure area might weaken the highpressu­re system. But that likely will be temporary, forecaster­s said.

Because the region has received close to 10 inches less rain than normal since Nov. 1, severe drought conditions have spread into central Miami-Dade County, moderate drought conditions in Broward County and abnormally dry conditions in Palm Beach County.

The main ramificati­on for now is the chance of wildfire increases.

The South Florida Water Management District isn’t considerin­g tightening water restrictio­ns at this point, said spokesman Randy

Palm

Beach

3.88 Smith.

That ’s because Lake Okeechobee, the region’s backup water supply, remains healthy. Its level on Tuesday was 12.4 feet, slightly higher than its historical average of 12.09 feet on June 23.

However, residents are urged to conserve water and adhere to year-round restrictio­ns, which limits lawn watering to two days a week in most cities, Smith said.

“We want to make sure all conservati­on efforts are in place,” he said.

kkaye@tribpub.com or 561-243-6530

 ?? STAFF FILE PHOTO ?? The main ramificati­on of South Florida’s dry conditions is an increased chance of wildfires.
STAFF FILE PHOTO The main ramificati­on of South Florida’s dry conditions is an increased chance of wildfires.

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