South Florida’s Drought Conditions

Introduction to the Drought

It’s been a dry year — most of the region has been in either severe or extreme drought conditions since early spring. But as of Monday, there’s only a small sliver of northeastern Palm Beach County that remained in moderate drought for the year to date.

Causes of the Drought

South Florida has benefited from a shift in the prevailing winds that allows thunderstorms to soak the east coast instead of the west coast of the state. “It is much less (of a dry area) than it was a couple weeks ago and even a few months ago,” said Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist at the Miami office of the National Weather Service.

Role of Wind Patterns

The slow tropics have not been a factor in the drought, Hadi said. The patterns of the prevailing wind direction have been the source of both the drought and the new surge of rain, he said. Earlier in the year, there was a very strong ridge of high pressure (the Bermuda High) across the area. It created strong easterly winds, pushing thunderstorms to the west coast of Florida.

Shift in Wind Patterns

“However, within the last month we’ve seen a lot of rainfall on the east coast as well … so we’ve seen an improvement,” Hadi said. Things changed when a trough settled over the eastern U.S., weakening the easterly Bermuda High winds, and allowing storms to soak the east coast.

Current Rainfall Conditions

This map shows the percentage of normal rainfall for the past 14 days compared to normal. The darker the blue, the higher the recent rainfall above average. (Courtesy South Florida Water Management District)
“That’s really the main driver as to whether we’re going to have a drought on the east coast or the west coast (of Florida),” Hadi said.

Comparison of Rainfall

In fact, the west coast has had below-average rainfall for the past 14 days, according to the South Florida Water Management District, while the east coast has had above average rainfall for this time of year.

Additional Benefits

A fringe benefit of the trough dominating over the east and the Bermuda High weakening has been less risk from hurricanes. As the Bermuda High pulled away from the east coast, it allowed Tropical Storm Gabrielle and Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda to curve north, away from land.

Conclusion

The drought conditions in South Florida are showing signs of improvement due to the shift in prevailing wind patterns. The region has benefited from above-average rainfall, and the risk of hurricanes has decreased. As the weather patterns continue to evolve, it is essential to monitor the conditions and adjust accordingly.

FAQs

• Q: What caused the drought in South Florida?
  A: The drought was caused by the strong ridge of high pressure (the Bermuda High) across the area, which created strong easterly winds and pushed thunderstorms to the west coast of Florida.
• Q: What changed to improve the drought conditions?
  A: A trough settled over the eastern U.S., weakening the easterly Bermuda High winds, and allowing storms to soak the east coast.
• Q: How has the rainfall been in the past 14 days?
  A: The east coast has had above-average rainfall, while the west coast has had below-average rainfall.
• Q: Has the drought improvement affected the risk of hurricanes?
  A: Yes, the weakening of the Bermuda High has allowed tropical storms and hurricanes to curve north, away from land, reducing the risk of hurricanes.
  

  Originally Published: October 6, 2025 at 2:00 PM EDT