Big storms to rattle, drench Florida into Wednesday evening

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Storms that erupt over the Florida Peninsula into Wednesday evening may pack a wallop in terms of rainfall and gusty winds.

"While June is typically a wet month and part of the rainy season in Florida, the weather pattern into Wednesday evening and especially during Wednesday afternoon and evening can be a bit more feisty than average," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck.

"The greatest threat from the storms will be frequent lightning strikes, but flooding downpours and strong wind gusts can clobber some communities," Smerbeck said.

In a few cases, the strongest storms may produce a brief spin-up tornado or waterspout.

The storms will erupt just inland of the Gulf coast during the midday and afternoon and progress toward the Atlantic coast late in the day and during the evening hours.

Cities at risk for some strong Florida storms include Orlando, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Vero Beach and West Palm Beach.

RELATED: 
What you should do if you get stuck driving in floodwaters 
7 lightning safety tips if you’re caught outside during a thunderstorm 
The difference between tornado watches and warnings 
Potent storm to trigger flooding, tornado threats in Ohio Valley and Northeast 
More than 260 dead dolphins found on Gulf Coast since February, triple the usual amount NOAA says

People spending time outdoors on the beach, at the golf course or at theme parks should keep an eye out for rapidly changing weather conditions. Storms with lightning can develop in a matter of minutes and in some cases form right over head.

Seek shelter indoors or in a hard-topped vehicle at the first rumble of thunder.

Never attempt to drive through flooded areas. The water may be deeper than it appears and/or the road surface may have been washed away beneath the water. A foot of water is enough to cause some vehicles to stall, drift and short out the electrical system.

Part of the same weather pattern will bring some needed rainfall farther north across Florida and much of the Southeast as well.

Conditions in these areas range from abnormally dry to moderate drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor.

However, as is often the case with thunderstorms, too much rain may fall too fast and result in urban flooding, while the more robust storms may produce isolated damaging winds.

"On Thursday, much of the Florida Peninsula should have a more quiet day," Smerbeck said.

There can still be spotty pop-up storms on Thursday over central and South Florida, while the balance of the Southeast region can expect an active day with downpours and locally severe storms.

Download the free AccuWeather app for your local forecast, including severe weather watches and warnings. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.