Rain tops 26 inches near Melbourne as Florida faces more Election Day showers

More than 26 inches of rain fell near Melbourne over 24 hours as repeated downpours continued Monday, November 2, adding to an exceptionally wet start to the month across parts of Florida. Rain was still falling when the report was published, leaving the final total undetermined. The deluge followed heavy rain and thunderstorms that flooded streets and soaked communities across South Florida on Sunday.

The National Weather Service in Miami reported that many places along the southeast coast and near Lake Okeechobee had received between 1 and 3 inches by Sunday afternoon. Isolated inland locations in Glades and Hendry counties measured 4 to 6 inches. Some locations across the Treasure Coast, particularly in Palm Beach County, recorded more than a foot of rainfall.

In the Palm Beach area, 17 inches fell within six hours, an amount described as a 1,000-year rainfall event. That classification refers to an event with a 0.1 percent chance of occurring at a particular location in any given year. Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli highlighted the extreme rainfall in Palm Beach Gardens and later pointed to roughly two feet of rain in Palm Bay and Melbourne.

Parts of Miami-Dade County received an estimated 3 to 5 inches during intense thunderstorms Sunday, leading to an afternoon flash flood warning. Rain eased Monday morning before storms developed again that afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for north-central Miami-Dade County because winds of at least 60 mph were possible. That warning expired shortly after 4 p.m., although heavy rain persisted across South Florida.

Conditions were forecast to improve gradually on Tuesday, November 3, but Election Day could still bring some heavy showers and thunderstorms, especially in South Florida. A marginal risk of flash flooding extends from South Florida through East Central Florida. The southern part of the state can expect warm, humid weather, scattered showers and intervals of sunshine, with Miami reaching about 86 degrees.

Central Florida is forecast to have sunshine mixed with clouds and occasional showers, particularly during the late morning and afternoon. High temperatures should reach the lower to middle 80s, including about 84 degrees in Orlando. Farther north, Jacksonville is expected to reach around 82 degrees, with sunny intervals between passing showers, mainly during the morning and early afternoon.

Across the Florida Panhandle, mostly cloudy conditions are expected Tuesday, but much of the daytime should stay dry. Temperatures are forecast to reach the upper 70s before the chance of rain increases late Tuesday night.