East Central Florida - Monday June 10, 2024: May 2024 was the warmest May on record across much of East Central Florida.
After an April that was near to slightly below normal temperature-wise, conditions really warmed up into May. Limited frontal passages occurred through the month, and those that did move through were very weak.
This led to little relief from daily average temperatures that remained near to above normal through the entire month. Average temperatures for May 2024 were around 3 to 4 degrees above normal, ranking the month as the warmest May on record for a majority of climate sites across east central Florida. The exception was at Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce where May 2024 ranked as 2nd warmest on record.
An unsettled weather pattern into mid-month led to scattered to at times numerous showers and storms across the area. The majority of precipitation for May 2024 occurred during this time frame.
Otherwise, it was a drier start and end to the month. Rainfall amounts for May 2024 ended up near to above normal across northern Lake and northwest Volusia counties, with drier than normal
conditions generally persisting across the rest of east central Florida.
Temperatures
Temperatures through May remained near to above normal, with highs in the 80s and 90s and lows in the 60s and 70s. Only a few weak passing fronts occurred during the month, and these boundaries produced little change in temperatures. The warmth during the month was extreme at times, with numerous daily high and warm low temperature records tied or broken (see full list below).
In fact, there were 18 days during the month where at least one of the primary climate sites set or tied a daily warm temperature record.
Fort Pierce not only tied their warmest minimum temperature on record for May, with a low of 78 degrees on the 14th, but also tied their hottest maximum temperature on record for May, with a high of 98 degrees on the 27th.
The persistent near to above normal warmth led to monthly average temperatures ranging around 3 to 4 degrees above normal. This ranked as the warmest May on record for Leesburg, Sanford, Orlando, Melbourne and Vero Beach, with average temperatures for May 2024 at these sites eclipsing past records by 0.5 to 1.1 degrees. At Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce it was the 2nd warmest May on record, with average temperature values only a tenth to two tenths of a degree from tying their record values. Other noteworthy statistics from the record setting month is that Orlando and Vero Beach had the highest number of days where the high was at or above 90 degrees for May.
Additionally, Sanford and Orlando had the highest number of days where the minimum temperature was at or above 70 degrees for May.
Record setting number of days during May 2024 where the high temperature reached at or above 90 degrees:
Daily Record Temperatures for the Month:
Vero Beach:
- May 5th: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 1956.
- May 6th: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 1956.
- May 9th: Tied record high of 93 degrees last set in 1977.
- May 10th: Record high of 96 degrees. Previous record was 95 degrees last set in 1976. Also, tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 1991.
- May 13th: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 2014.
- May 14th: Record warm low of 77 degrees. Previous record was 75 degrees last set in 2014.
- May 18th: Tied record high of 96 degrees last set in 1995.
Fort Pierce:
- May 5th: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 1956.
- May 10th: Tied record high of 96 degrees last set in 2008.
- May 14th: Record warm low of 78 degrees. Previous record was 75 degrees last set in 2020. This also tied the warmest minimum temperature on record for the month of May at this site, last set on May 22nd, 2022.
- May 27th: Record high of 98 degrees. Previous record was 95 degrees last set in 1902. This also tied the hottest maximum temperature on record for the month of May at this site, last set on
May 31st, 2004.
- May 28th: Tied record high of 95 degrees last set in 2000.
Melbourne:
- May 4th: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 2010.
- May 14th: Record warm low of 77 degrees. Previous record was 75 degrees last set in 2014.
- May 27th: Record high of 98 degrees. Previous record was 95 degrees last set in 1953.
Orlando:
- May 15th: Record warm low of 74 degrees. Previous record was 73 degrees last set in 2014.
Daytona Beach:
- May 9th: Record high of 97 degrees. Previous record was 94 degrees last set in 1978. Also, tied record warm low of 73 degrees last set in 1991.
Leesburg:
- May 7th: Tied record warm low of 74 degrees last set in 2010.
- May 8th: Tied record high of 94 degrees last set in 2009.
- May 9th: Record warm low of 75 degrees. Previous record was 72 degrees last set in 2014.
- May 10th: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 2008.
- May 25th: Tied record warm low of 75 degrees last set in 2014.
- May 29th: Record high of 96 degrees. Previous record was 95 degrees last set in 2019. Also, set record warm low of 77 degrees. Previous record was 75 degrees last set in 2018.
- May 30th: Tied record high of 95 degrees last set in 2019.
Sanford:
- May 8th: Record high of 96 degrees. Previous record was 95 degrees last set in 2009.
- May 9th: Tied record high of 97 degrees last set in 2009. Also, tied record warm low of 74 degrees last set in 2008.
- May 16th: Record warm low of 74 degrees. Previous record was 72 degrees last set in 2020.
- May 18th: Record warm low of 74 degrees. Previous record was 73 degrees last set in 2020.
- May 19th: Record warm low of 75 degrees. Previous record was 74 degrees last set in 2008.
- May 25th: Tied record warm low of 74 degrees last set in 2000.
- May 29th: Record warm low of 76 degrees. Previous record was 74 degrees last set in 2017. This also tied the warmest minimum temperature on record for the month of May at this site, last set on May 31st, 2019.
Average temperatures for May 2024 at the primary climate sites across east central Florida are as follows - rankings provided if in the top 10:
- Vero Beach had a monthly average temperature of 80.1 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 3.4 degrees above normal. This ranks as the warmest May on record for the site, breaking the previous record of 79.6 degrees set in May 1995. Records for this site date back to 1942.
- Fort Pierce had a monthly average temperature of 79.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 3.5 degrees above normal. This ranks as the 2nd warmest May on record for the site, with records dating back to 1901.
- Melbourne had a monthly average temperature of 80.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 3.5 degrees above normal. This ranks as the warmest May on record for the site, breaking the previous record of 79.4 degrees set in May 2019. Records for this site date back to 1937.
- Orlando had a monthly average temperature of 81.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 4.1 degrees above normal. This ranks as the warmest May on record for the site, breaking the previous record of 80.6 degrees set in May 1915. Records for this site date back to 1892.
- Daytona Beach had a monthly average temperature of 78.9 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 3.3 degrees above normal. This ranks as the 2nd warmest May on record for the site, with records dating back to 1923.
- Leesburg had a monthly average temperature of 81.1 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 3.2 degrees above normal. This ranks as the warmest May on record for the site, breaking the previous record of 80.6 degrees set in May 2010 and 2003. Records for this site date back to 1958.
- Sanford had a monthly average temperature of 81.2 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 3.5 degrees above normal. This ranks as the warmest May on record for the site, breaking the previous record of 80.1 degrees set in May 2003. Records for this site date back to 1948.
Rainfall
May 2024 started off mostly dry for the first several days of the month, with only isolated showers and storms occurring at times across the area. However, toward mid-month from the 11th through the 19th, showers and storms increased across the area due to a more unsettled pattern as fronts moved into the area or remained stalled north of the region. Periods of scattered to at times numerous showers and storms moved or developed across east central Florida, with some storms becoming strong to severe. Greatest rainfall amounts were mostly across northern Lake and northwest Volusia counties where totals up to 3 to 6 inches occurred during this time.
However, across the Vero Beach area, there was even some locally heavy rainfall up to 4 to 6 inches. Elsewhere, amounts were typically closer to around 1 to 2 inches from this increase in rainfall during this period. For the remainder of the month, mostly dry conditions occurred, with a couple of brief increases in shower and storm activity on the 25th and 28th.
For most locations, the majority of rainfall for May 2024 occurred during mid-month. Rainfall was generally near to above normal across northern Lake and northwest Volusia counties where end of the month totals were between 4 to 7 inches. Farther south, amounts were closer to 1 to 3 inches across much of the area, which were around 1 to 2 inches below normal. However, some locally heavier amounts up to 4 to 7 inches occurred along the Treasure Coast. The overall drier than normal conditions during May allowed moderate drought (D1) conditions to develop and expand across much of east central Florida.
Daily Record Rainfall for the Month:
Vero Beach:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.
Fort Pierce:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.
Melbourne:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.
Orlando:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.
Daytona Beach:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.
Leesburg:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.
Sanford:
- No daily record rainfall values set or tied.
May 2024 rainfall totals for the primary climate sites across east central Florida are as follows - ranking provided if in the top 10:
- Vero Beach received 4.54 inches of rain for the month, which was 0.34 inches above normal.
- Fort Pierce received 2.43 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.50 inches below normal.
- Melbourne received 1.12 inches of rain for the month, which was 2.41 inches below normal.
- Orlando received 1.80 inches of rain for the month, which was 2.22 inches below normal.
- Daytona Beach received 1.65 inches of rain for the month, which was 2.04 inches below normal.
- Leesburg received 4.77 inches of rain for the month, which was 2.09 inches above normal.
- Sanford received 1.67 inches of rain for the month, which was 1.64 inches below normal.