Rain soaking Jacksonville and beyond
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you’ve looked out the window today, you’ve probably seen the steady stream of rain in Jacksonville, Jack’s Beach, and stretching up and down the Northeast Florida coast into Southeast Georgia. I’m News4JAX meteorologist Katie Garner, and we sure needed this rain—many neighborhoods from Nocatee and Ponte Vedra to Deerwood Club are seeing heavy showers, and the beach communities from Atlantic Beach to Palm Valley are getting wet too.
Even areas like Mayport are getting a quick break, but it’s not expected to last long. Farther south, Bakersville and Green Cove Springs are in the thick of it, while our friends up in Waycross and Brunswick, Georgia, are seeing some lighter rain. I’ve got my eye on the radar using Exact Track 4D, and most of our area will be dealing with these showers much of the day.
Storm timeline and lightning threat
Here’s what to expect as we move through the afternoon and evening: Rain is likely to continue—and even ramp up and become more widespread—between now and 12 p.m. Storms could range from garden-variety rumbles to some strong, possibly severe, thunderstorms. If you’re out and about, keep an ear out for thunder because lightning activity is already being detected near Stark, and we saw plenty of strikes this morning, especially around Deerwood Club.
Storm chances increase as we head into the evening, with the highest risk for stronger storms in areas highlighted on our severe risk map—think World Golf Village, Gainesville, and Flagler Beach. Wind gusts are forecast to be the main concern with these storms. Storms may stick around into tonight, and we can’t rule out a few pop-ups overnight.
Wind gusts, lightning, and safety tips
The wind is another part of the story today. Current wind gusts are ranging from the teens up to 30 mph, while temperatures are sticking in the 70s…