South Florida's wet season begins May 15, while the rainy season arrives by late May in Central Florida. This period is called the wet season or rainy season because it's when many cities pick up most of their yearly rainfall.

Why Does Florida Have a Rainy Season

From late spring through early fall, cold fronts no longer penetrate that far south, so heat and humidity simply build. Highs in the 90s and dew points in the 70s are fuel for daily showers and thunderstorms that seem to develop randomly across the state.

Thunderstorms also erupt along small-scale sea breeze boundaries each afternoon, which contribute to a more organized storm mode. At times, these thunderstorms can almost seem like a daily occurrence. With the lack of steering currents in the mid-levels of the atmosphere, storms are often slow-movers and efficient rainfall producers, capable of dumping several inches of rain in a short period of time.

In 2025, Florida ranked 2nd, behind Texas, for the most lightning strikes in that year.

Keep this in mind if you're planning a summer trip, especially to Disney World. Afternoon thunderstorms in the summer are the norm. The storms typically don't last very long and the sun will often come out once the rain stops.

Then, there's hurricane season, another contributor in this wetter season. And remember: You don't need a strong hurricane to dump excessive amounts of rain across the state.

Worst Drought In 25 Years

This year, Florida has entered its worst drought in 25 years and wildfires continue to burn across the state.

99% of the state is suffering from drought conditions and 80% of the state is in an extreme drought (red shading below). The extreme category is a level 3 out of 4, with the exceptional drought confined to the Panhandle and the Big Bend.

This makes sense given the lack of rainfall. Most of the state is running well below average when it comes to rainfall since January 1st.

Looking Ahead...Any Drought Improvements?

Simply put...yes and no.

With the rainy season beginning, the chance for daily showers and storms along the East Coast sea breeze should help reduce and potentially erase the drought from Orlando down to Miami. However, the current drought outlook shows the drought remaining across the Panhandle into North Florida. Time will tell.