ORLANDO, Fla. – Small brush fires have been popping up across Central Florida due to dry conditions.
In addition to the dry brush and atmosphere, a storm system Thursday will cause the winds to pick up again.
Because of this trifecta, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for increased fire potential for most of Central Florida.
Rain chances will be very low, 20%, as the system sweeps across Central Florida.
Most of the region is considered to be in a drought with all of Central Florida inches below normal in the rainfall department. The Keetch-Byram drought index is a continuous reference scale for estimating the dryness of the soil.
Higher values indicate a favorable environment for the start and spread of wildfires. Other factors like wind and relative humidity go into the daily wildfire risk factor.
Widespread rain chances appear hard to come by through the end of the month.
The spring into early summer is the peak of wildfire season in Florida.
The drought has likely been aided by La-Nina, which typically keeps the Southeast corner of the U.S. dry.