Florida is unique in that when the weather forecast predicts "30% chance of rain", it doesn't mean "It might rain", it means "It's always raining, there's just a 30% chance that it'll be in your area." Which of course means "you're going to get wet." By default, it's always a 30% minimum chance of rain in Florida during the summer. You'll almost never see it below that from mid June-September.
Florida doesn't have your average weather patterns. Of course every state is going to have their own various versions of this proclamation, but seriously, unless you've lived or tried to vacation here, you won't understand just how accurate that statement is.
Now sure, you may say "eh, it's just a little rain. Stop whining." But one thing you must understand, is that it isn't "just a little rain." Florida is the lightning capital of the world. More people are struck by lightning per-capita in the Sunshine State than anywhere else. When these storms hit, they spring up quickly, and even though they may not stay in the area for more than a few hours, they dump enormous amounts of water, standing water develops quickly on the roads, and many times the accompanying wind can topple trees and power poles. Visibility drops pretty quickly as well. To make the issue worse, the cool water hitting hot surfaces such as roads causes enormous amounts of steam, which further lowers visibility.
What causes such powerful storms? The answer is simple: Florida's high heat and humidity, combined with being a peninsula, is a perfect recipe for powerful thunderstorms. Native Floridians have learned to practically set our watches for the daily storms. It's guaranteed to be raining by 3pm every day. There are occasions when the storms roll through and cause a temporary lull in the high temperatures, but most of the time the sun will immediately burst through the cloud cover - turning the region into a sauna.
The humidity level is unreal. It causes the heat index to be 20-30 degrees higher than the actual temperature. This is really the primary reason why it's practically impossible to ride your motorcycle in full gear during the summer. You'll be dying before you leave your driveway. If your only mode of transportation is a motorcycle, I strongly do not recommend living here. Another issue to consider - Hurricanes. But that's for a later post.
There are two sides to this, though. Even though Summer is the worst time to ride a motorcycle in Florida, the development of these storms offer tremendous beauty. One could literally watch the Thunder Heads build and turn dark as moisture builds. Especially in my region of North Central Florida, locations such as Paines Prarie offer beautiful observation points for watching these giants form in the sky.
(This video is NOT mine, credit goes to YT user 5.56NATO.)
Another great experience of these giants are heat lightning storms. No thunder, no lightning strikes, just incredible shows of cloud lightning. They happen very frequently during the summer nights. Massive amounts of built up static electricity is released in terrific light shows that stay in the clouds, but it's multiple times per second, and they'll last for many hours. It's really my favorite aspect of Florida, and I have fond memories of going with my dad to open fields at night and watching the lightning from the back of the truck. A magnificent demonstration of nature's power and beauty.
-James
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