Thunderstorms May Be Holiday Noisemakers

LAKE WALES | It could rain on a few picnics this holiday weekend.

Central Florida is in its typical summertime pattern, with a 50 percent to 60 percent chance of thunderstorms forecast for the next few days.

Bay News 9 meteorologist Mike Clay said he sees "no reason to lower the chances" in the immediate future.

"It will be dry in the mornings and wetter in the afternoons," Clay said.

At this time of year, sea breezes collide with rising heat over the Florida peninsula, setting off regular afternoon thundershowers.

That pattern started in early June, with rain recorded on 19 days during the month.

The result was a total of 7.65 inches in Lakeland, which is slightly higher than the June average of 7 inches.

For the year to date, Lakeland has received 23.09 inches, compared with a historic average of 21.41 inches.

Officials aren't talking about the fire danger any more.

"People are happy now," said Chris Stokes, a duty officer with the Florida Division of Forestry in Lakeland. "It's nice to get rain."

The drought index, often touted during the drier months as a way of measuring wildfire danger, now stands at 295 and is dropping daily.

A month ago, the index stood at 563 in Polk on a scale that ranges from a soggy zero to a bone-dry 800.

Officials don't expect serious problems when the index is below 400. The highest mark in Polk was 691 in the spring of 2001.

The recent rains have also raised lake levels, although most remain below normal for this time of year.

Most canals connecting the 16 lakes in the Winter Haven chain, for example, are still not considered to be navigable with larger boats.

On Tuesday, the lake levels stood at 128.80 feet above sea level, more than 3 feet before what is considered the desirable level. On Monday, the last day of June, the lakes were at 128.74 feet, a bit lower than on June 1, when the level stood at 128.76 feet.

The lake levels fell during the first half of June, dropping to 128.36 feet on June 19 before starting to climb again.

The lakes' record low was 127.5 feet above sea level June 14 and June 18, 2001. Records have been kept since the 1940s.

Bill Stowell of the Aloha Rainbow Marina in Winter Haven said it will take at least another foot of water to make the marina accessible from Lake Eloise.

With boat slips empty, Stowell said, "We're struggling, but we're hanging in there."

Two daily low-temperature records were tied in Lakeland during June, if you can call them low temperatures. A reading of 68 degrees on June 23 tied the mark set in 1979 and a reading of 69 degrees on June 26 tied the mark set in 1968. But those temperatures were no place near the reading of 52 degrees recorded on June 1, 1984, which is the low record for the month.

Readings of 97 degrees on June 6 and 7 were the highest temperatures recorded this June, but no place close to record territory. June 4, 1985, was the hottest day ever recorded in Lakeland with a reading of 105 degrees.

[ Bill Bair can be reached at bill.bair@theledger.com or 863-676-7118. ]