After a record dry spring in Bradenton, latest weather forecast predicts a rainy week
After the fourth-driest spring since records began in 1911, the Sarasota-Bradenton area is expected to get much-needed rain this week.
The National Weather Service forecasts a 60% chance of rain Monday night, with rainfall totals reaching up to 0.75 inches. The NWS also forecasts the rain to continue throughout the week with the chance of rain ranging between 70 and 90% daily through Sunday.
The seven-day forecast says 1 to 2 inches of rainfall are possible Tuesday.
In total, the NWS forecasts 8 to 10 inches for the area, with most of the rain targeting Southwest Florida between Wednesday and Friday.
A plume of moisture from the Caribbean will move across the state during the week. This will bring us widespread showers with the highest totals in Southwest Florida. Most of this rain will fall on Wednesday through Friday. #flwx pic.twitter.com/f8tJxxfRBo
— NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) June 10, 2024
May was the hottest month for the Sarasota-Bradenton area since records were first kept in 1911. The average temperature of 81.4 degrees was 3.6 degrees higher than the normal May temperature.
It was compounded by the third-driest May, where only 0.02 inches of rain were observed — 2.56 inches less than the normal May rainfall amount, the NWS reported.
The spring rainfall amounts for the area, including March, April and May, fell 5.77 inches short of the regular amount according to the NWS. That total of 2.12 inches made it the fourth-driest since record keeping began more than a century ago.
In an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon, the Manatee County Commission voted to extend a burn ban for another week due to the dry conditions. Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske recommended the extended ban, which prohibits the use of fireworks, campfires and other outdoor activities that could spark a fire.
