ORLANDO, Fla. -- Central Florida’s rainy season runs from the middle of May into October.

This is when Orlando picks up more than 60 percent of its annual rainfall.

The 2018 rainy season started in a hurry and early in May. Orlando picked up nearly 7.5” that month, while Daytona Beach received up more than 12” of rain, and Melbourne saw more than 8” fall.

This was more than 200 percent of normal rainfall in May for both Orlando and Melbourne. In Daytona Beach, it was almost 400 percent of normal rainfall for the month of May and 26 percent of Daytona Beach’s annual rainfall in just one month.

It was the second wettest May on record for Daytona Beach. It finished behind May of 2009 when more than 22” of rain fell.

June and July continued to deliver heavy rains across Central Florida with Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne all finishing wetter than average. But, since the calendar has turned to August most areas are now drier than average for the start of this month.

Short-term outlooks are continuing to show a drier than average pattern heading into mid-to-late August.

Even with the recent drier stretch to begin August, it is one of the top 20 wettest rainy seasons on record so far for Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne.

In Orlando, it is the 18th wettest since records began in 1892. This rainy season is the 16th wettest in Melbourne, and it is the fourth wettest on record for Daytona Beach through early August.