Sunshine and cooler temperatures have returned to central Florida, but flood warnings remain in place along the St Johns River as water levels continue to rise after last week’s exceptional rainfall.
The National Weather Service said warnings were continuing at Cocoa, Geneva, Sanford, DeLand and Astor, with flooding expected to persist through the start of the working week. Some locations could reach major flood stage before levels begin to fall gradually.
At Cocoa, officials said the river was expected to continue rising towards a crest of about 17.1ft by the middle of the week. Moderate flooding was already being reported, with major flooding forecast.
The warnings come despite a largely dry forecast for Orlando and surrounding areas. A cold front has moved south of the peninsula, bringing drier air and a northerly breeze which has eased the humidity seen over the past week.
Temperatures are expected to reach about 80F on Sunday, with clear or mostly sunny conditions and little chance of rain. Overnight temperatures will fall into the 50s in inland areas, while Orlando is expected to wake to readings in the low 60s on Monday.
Forecasters expect similarly settled weather on Monday and Tuesday, although humidity will begin to increase as winds turn towards the Atlantic. Highs should climb into the low 80s on Tuesday.
Rain and colder weather expected later in the week
The weather pattern is expected to become more unsettled from Wednesday as moisture returns to central Florida ahead of another cold front. Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms are possible through Thursday.
The National Weather Service said the front could reach the region late Thursday or Friday, although rainfall totals were expected to remain limited. Drier and noticeably cooler air is then forecast to arrive for the weekend.
Temperatures may struggle to rise out of the 60s and 70s, while overnight readings could fall into the 40s and 50s. The coolest conditions of the autumn so far are increasingly likely next weekend, particularly inland and north of Orlando.
There is currently no tropical threat to Florida or the US mainland. The National Hurricane Center said tropical cyclone formation was not expected in the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea or Gulf of America during the next seven days.
