Areas of South Florida will be concerned over a flood risk as more rain is expected to lash the Sunshine State this week.
Around a month's worth of rainfall is expected to occur in certain areas. Fox Weather said the West Palm Beach Area of Miami and Fort Lauderdale could see between five and eight inches of rain over the coming days, leading to some concerns of flash flooding.
A warning, in place until Thursday evening, says the following areas could be affected:
- Coastal Broward County
- Coastal Miami-Dade County
- Coastal Palm Beach County
- Metro Broward County
- Metro Palm Beach County
- Metropolitan Miami Dade
The National Weather Service (NWS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that "flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible."
"Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas," the NWS said. "Storm drains and ditches may become clogged with debris."
The weather experts added: "Periods of heavy rain will be likely starting this morning and continuing through Thursday evening at the very least. Storm totals of two to four inches with locally higher amounts could be possible."
In November, Fort Lauderdale was named the wettest city in America this year by NBC Boston due to the high levels of rainfall. Up to 101 inches of rain had been recorded up to November 17.
In central Florida, an average of around 2.6 inches of rain falls every December, according to the online weather guide Climates To Travel. Between three to five inches are possible over the next week, forecasts say, meaning a month's worth of rain could fall in just a few days.
Previous forecasts have indicated the possibility of a higher-than-normal level of rainfall in Florida this winter due to the El Niño weather system.
El Niño occurs when warmer waters are sent eastwards by what is known as 'trade winds.' These are winds that blow from east to west close to the equator.
During an El Niño period, winds are weaker or are reversed and warm water spreads further afield. This means the potential for more volatile conditions.
More rainfall in the Gulf of Mexico and southern areas of the U.S. are more likely to see rain because the warm water pushed the Pacific jet stream further east and more south.
"An El Niño event favors wetter winters across the south and the southwestern United States and drier and warmer winters in the Pacific Northwest," Aaron Levine, a research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies at the University of Washington, previously told Newsweek.
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Benjamin Lynch is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is U.S. politics and national affairs and he ... Read more
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