Look, we Miamians are spoiled. We know the rest of the world laughs at us when we complain about things like "cloud cover" and "four straight days of drizzle" because we never have to endure things like blizzards, earthquakes, severe droughts, or whatever sort of insane tarantula attacks we're guessing occur in Australia all the time. If you're already laughing at this article, that's fine — this isn't for you. Move along.
Now that it's just us Miamians: We're probably getting a second straight week of rain after already enduring a whole bunch of flood warnings last week! Prepare your galoshes and antidepressant regimens accordingly.
According to the National Weather Service, it has been much rainier than normal all week, and that weather system is still dumping water onto the entire state. But while that system is expected to clear up by midweek, another tropical disturbance brewing in the Gulf of Mexico is set to unleash more rain on Florida by the end of the week.
"Looking ahead, conditions should remain wet over the southeastern U.S. during the next few days," the NWS wrote online yesterday. "Additionally, tropical moisture lifting up from a disturbance in the Caribbean could bring additional heavy rainfall anywhere from the central Gulf Coast eastward into Florida later next week."
Thankfully, the tropical weather pattern forming in the Gulf is expected to move north rather than east, so if it turns into a full-blown storm or hurricane, the worst bits aren't expected to hit Miami. Probably. But the system will still likely dump some kind of wetness onto Memorial Day festivities in South Florida:May 20 - Weekly Outlook: Monday remains wet across SFL, but things will be a *little* drier Tues & Wed, before more deep tropical moisture returns later this week. Flooding will remain a concern with any heavy rainfall. pic.twitter.com/TmRpdFTYgx
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) May 20, 2018
It's possible that by the weekend we might have seen some near-record-setting rainfall totals. Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School, noted we've already seen 8.52 inches of rain this May — roughly 328 percent the monthly average for May 1 through 21 in the Magic City.9am: Disturbance in Caribbean has 20% chance of development; expected to move north into the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rain possible for South FL late this week into Memorial Day Weekend #flwx pic.twitter.com/tJ7IsDfuk0
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) May 21, 2018
South Florida probably won't be wet enough to touch the all-time record for May rainfall: 18.66 inches, set in 1926. But with another crazy rainy week, this year should end up in the all-time top ten for the month:
As of Monday morning, #Miami is up to 8.52" of rain this month (about 328% of average for May 1-21). The record rainiest May is 18.66" (1925), and we have a long way to go in the next 10 days to reach the top 10. But will May 2018 make the top 10?? It could! #flwx pic.twitter.com/8by02L24yW
— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) May 21, 2018
Multiple spots in Broward County flooded over the weekend after the heavens unleashed even more rain than expected on South Florida. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport even had to delay at least 83 flights.Over the past couple weeks, the mid-Atlantic region has gotten some decent rain, and is well above average, percentage-wise. But the Florida peninsula has gotten a LOT of rain, and is even more above average for the period. #NotOverYet #flwx #vawx #mdwx #dewx #njwx @UMiamiRSMAS pic.twitter.com/j03nEemINP
— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) May 21, 2018
"Over the past couple weeks, the mid-Atlantic region has gotten some decent rain, and is well above average, percentage-wise," McNoldy wrote today. "But the Florida peninsula has gotten a LOT of rain, and is even more above average for the period." He added: "#NotOverYet."
