Start of rainy season?

Storm clouds roll in over the calm waters of the Bayboro Harbor along the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus during a rainy morning. [Dirk Shadd, Times]

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will extend through Sunday when drier and cooler temperatures are expected, according to the National Weather Service.

A front is headed to the area on Sunday when temperatures are expected to go down from about 89 degrees to 86 degrees, said Dan Noah, a meteorologist with the weather service. So far the area has not gotten as much rain as expected, Noah said. 

"A lot of these storms collapsed before they got to the coast," Noah said. "We were expecting a lot of rain."

So could these showers be the start of rainy season?

Could be.

The rainy season typically begins between mid-May to mid-June. But there have been exceptions. In 1998 it didn't start until July, Noah said.

"So there's no rule of thumb on it," he said. "We're anxiously awaiting to get some water so we can get some relief to these dry conditions."

-- Nicole Hutcheson, Times Staff Writer