South Florida’s rainy season is off to a dry start. Here’s what to expect.

South Florida’s rainy season arrived Monday with a dry start, but you can soon expect storm chances each day.

Monday’s chances of rain were only 20% to 30%, and the highest chance of rain is Friday, at only 40%.

The rainy period, during which the region receives about 70% of its annual rainfall, will run through Oct. 15 — marked by thunderstorms and scattered showers nearly every day.

The rainy season is categorized by three different periods. The first, which goes from mid-May to early June, typically has the most storms, with historically the highest chances for frequent severe thunderstorms. This period also may feature strong winds, lightning strikes, flooding, hail and even tornadoes.

The second period, from July to about mid-August, is the hottest time of the year, with a lull in July during which rainfall decreases the most. The third and final phase, which goes from the remainder of August to mid-October, sees the most threats of tropical storms and hurricanes along with early fall cold fronts.

The average 2023 rainfall totals are 37.5 inches for Fort Lauderdale, 36.3 inches for Palm Beach and 44.8 for Miami.

The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1, and the storms forming during that period may affect rainfall totals. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration will announce the 2023 hurricane season outlook on May 25.

This year also will likely bring forth an El Niño, which may help decrease hurricane activity, said George Rizzuto, a NOAA meteorologist. “What happens during those times is the wind shear over the Caribbean increases, and that tends to inhibit a lot of tropical cyclones from developing,” he said.

Wind shear is a change in the speed or direction of wind over a short distance. This could mean a slightly below average season of hurricane activity in Atlantic waters, Rizzuto said.

Regardless of a potential for decreased hurricane activity and a relatively dry start to the season, Rizzuto’s primary piece of advice for people wanting to survive the next five months is to avoid driving through flooded roads.

“A lot of times during wet season, we get some of these very heavy downpours that lead to some localized flooding in certain areas, and a lot of people tend to drive through them,” he said. “But it’s not safe. A lot of times there’s things under the water that could damage your car, injure yourself.”

This warning comes about a month after Fort Lauderdale residents endured nearly 26 inches of rain in the span of several hours.

“Turn around, don’t drown,” Rizzuto said.

MIKE STOCKER/SUN SENTINEL The rainy season in South Florida has officially kicked off and runs through Oct. 15. The first four to six weeks of the rainy season is typically the stormiest phase.