Current Weather Outlook
Statewide weather outlook from Florida Division of Emergency Management Meteorology
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
... Scattered Showers and Thunderstorms Expected Throughout the Peninsula Today... Locally Strong Storms Possible Along the I-95 Corridor... Frequent Lightning, Gusty Winds, and Heavy Downpours the Primary Hazards... Showers and Thunderstorms Linger Through the Evening and Overnight Hours Before Pushing Offshore... Highs in the 70s in North Florida, 80s and 90s in Central and South Florida... Feels-like Temperatures Reach the Upper 90s in South Florida... Moderate to High Risk for Rip Currents for East Coast and Panhandle Beaches... Surf Remains Elevated Along the East Coast Today at 3-5 Feet...
Updated at 9:38 AM EDT
Today's Threats:
|
No Threat |
Low Threat |
Medium Threat |
High Threat |
|
Lightning |
Tornado |
Damaging Wind/Hail |
Wildfire |
Excessive Heat |
Flash Flooding |
Fog (Overnight) |
Rip Currents |
|
Locally Peninsula
|
|
Iso. I-95 Corridor |
Locally (From Lightning) |
Locally South FL |
Iso. I-95 Corridor |
Locally I-4 Corridor & Northeast FL |
East Coast Southwest FL & Panhandle Southeast FL & West Coast |
Weather Summary for the Next 24 Hours:
The frontal boundary from yesterday’s heavy rainfall will remain draped across Central Florida today, slowly dissipating. Ample tropical moisture will remain pooled across the state today as a result, with isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms expected throughout the Peninsula this afternoon (35-70% chance of rain). The I-95 corridor and East Coast will be favored today for a few locally strong thunderstorms that could produce frequent lightning, gusty winds (30-50 mph), and heavy downpours. Wildfire danger will be low today as relative humidities remain well above critical thresholds, though thunderstorm activity can bring lightning and gusty/erratic winds capable of sparking new wildfires or reigniting existing ones. Winds will turn breezy across South Florida this afternoon, gusting upwards of 25 mph. A mostly dry day is expected throughout the Panhandle and Big Bend as clouds slowly start to clear out from west to east, with a sprinkle or isolated shower possible (10-20% chance of rain).
High temperatures will reach the upper 70s to lower 80s throughout North Florida, with middle 80s to lower 90s in Central and South Florida. Feels-like temperatures will approach the upper 90s to near 100-degrees across coastal Southeast Florida today.
Tonight, activity will begin to dissipate after sunset with just a few lingering showers across East-Central Florida (25-30% chance of rain). Areas of patchy dense fog cannot be ruled out across Northeast Florida and near the I-4 corridor overnight and towards daybreak Thursday. Lows will fall into the lower to middle 60s in North Florida with lower to middle 70s in Central and South Florida.
Rip Currents: Increasing surf will bring a high risk for rip currents to most East Coast beaches today. A moderate risk is expected for most Panhandle beaches, as well as Southwest and Palm Beach County beaches. A low risk is expected for all other statewide beaches. For the latest Rip Current Outlook, visit www.weather.gov/beach.
Marine Hazards: Seas will remain elevated today along the East Coast, with waves reaching 3-5’. Waves will remain near 1-2’ for all Panhandle and West Coast beaches today.
Red Tide was observed at background concentrations in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay, and Sarasota counties. It was not observed elsewhere across the state (valid 5/8/26).
Coastal Flooding: There is no risk for coastal flooding today.
Fire Weather: Wildfire danger is expected to be low today given relative humidities above critical thresholds with scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the Peninsula. Winds will turn breezy across South Florida today, gusting upwards of 25 mph this afternoon. Thunderstorms may be accompanied by lightning and gusty/erratic winds which can spark new wildfires or reignite existing ones. Areas of patchy dense fog may also develop across Central and Northeast Florida before daybreak Thursday, which could lead to significantly reduced visibilities in and around active wildfires. According to the Florida Forest Service, there are 53 active wildfires across the state burning approximately 29,209 acres.
Drought (5/5/26): No improvements to the drought were made on this weeks latest update, with last weekends rainfall across the Panhandle and Big Bend doing little more than stabilizing the current drought situation. Rainfall amounts tallied up to 2-3” across much of the Panhandle and Big Bend, though streamflows and soil moisture levels remain paltry and near or surpassing record lows. Lighter rainfall fell throughout the Peninsula, with spotty showers and storms bringing rainfall totals of 0.5-1.5” to most locations. Increasing temperatures with this lighter rain brought worsening drought conditions throughout the Peninsula. Expansion of the extreme drought (level 3 of 4) was added across West-Central Florida, further inland to include all of Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. Some expansion eastward was also made throughout South Florida, closer to the Southeast metro region. Along the I-4 corridor in Central Florida, the area of moderate (level 1 of 4) to severe drought (level 2 of 4) has shrunk even further. Extreme (level 3 of 4) to exceptional drought (level 4 of 4) was untouched throughout North Florida on this week’s update where rainfall deficits since the beginning of the water year (October 2025) are still near 12-18 inches across the area. 98% of Florida remains in at least a moderate drought, with 25% of the state (eastern Panhandle to Suwannee Valley) in an exceptional drought. Looking ahead, some additional waves of showers and thunderstorms may bring beneficial rainfall to North Florida through the weekend and early next week. However, a widespread slow drenching rainfall is not expected.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index average for Florida is 491 (-7) on a scale from 0 (very wet) to 800 (very dry). There are 41 out of 67 Florida counties that have an average KBDI above 500 (drought/increased fire danger).
Flash Flooding: There is no organized risk for flash flooding today. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected across the Peninsula this afternoon, some of which may be locally heavy. Rainfall totals are expected to remain spotty and mainly below 1”, though localized amounts upwards of 1-2” cannot be ruled out.
Riverine Flooding: There are no riverine concerns across the state. For more information, visit the River Forecast Center.
Lake Okeechobee’s average elevation is 11.41 feet, which is within the operational band and is 1.93 feet below normal for this time of year.
