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Dry & fire danger for North Florida, Pahandle, while South Florida stays soggy

A cold front moves slowly through Florida and develops some showers on Sunday across the western portion of the Panhandle around noon. Then, in the afternoon, southerly winds, along with more atmospheric moisture and instability, developed isolated storms along the southern part of the Space Coast, through the Treasure Coast, and into South Florida.

As this cold front continues to push south, drier and cooler air will settle into place across the Panhandle and North Florida on Monday. Fire danger will remain high across the I-10 corridor and along portions of I-75 in North Florida. Winds will be mainly out of the northeast around 15 mph, but gusts will be elevated up to 30 mph. Relative humidity will be extremely low, between 15% and 25%. Make sure to avoid open flames or sparks and park your vehicles off the dry grass. If you smoke, make sure to discard cigarettes properly, as they can quickly ignite fires, and the wind could make these fires become erratic quickly. Remember, extreme drought continues to dominate most of the region, and we do not expect conditions to change much by the end of the week when the new monitor is released.

The combo of temperatures and low relative humidities continues to place much of the area in an elevated fire danger. Use caution outside to prevent wildfires.

Across Central Florida, temperatures will be much cooler to start the week. Highs will remain in the mid to upper 70s under partly cloudy skies. It will also be windy, with gusts up to 30 mph. Across West-Central Florida, including the Tampa Bay area, temperatures will be slightly warmer and closer to average for this time of year, with highs around the mid-80s under mostly sunny skies. Winds will also be strong, with gusts up to 21 mph.

South Florida is where we can expect the weather to remain the most active. The cold front will continue pushing through, while a low-pressure system develops and moves across the region. This system will enhance shower activity. Expect periods of heavy showers throughout the day, mainly in the afternoon into the evening, with isolated storms also possible. Clouds and showers will keep high temperatures around 83°F across South Florida, which is close to average for this time of year. Tuesday is expected to bring much drier air, with sunshine returning. South Florida will see highs around the upper 70s, along with breezy conditions. Gusts on Tuesday could reach up to 30 mph, and gusty winds will continue at least through Thursday afternoon.

As for rainfall in South Florida, some areas could accumulate around 1 to 2 inches. Keep in mind that this is beneficial rainfall, as much of the region continues to experience extreme drought.

Although most of the precipitation will be focused across Miami-Dade and the southern portion of Collier County, areas just north of there, extending through Punta Gorda, will see much less rainfall on Monday. The heaviest precipitation will be concentrated across the southern tip of Florida, with a few isolated spots potentially reaching up to an inch in the southeast metro area and along the Treasure Coast.

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