© Daily News Photo/Chris Salata
Byron Thomas, 22, of Palm Beach, looks for fish near the Southern Boulevard bridge. Thomas, who has been fishing in and near Palm Beach his entire life, was looking to catch bait for snook fishing.
Regular rainfall the past several days has somewhat boosted water levels in area lakes and refreshed area lawns, but much more rain is needed to end the extreme drought plaguing the state.
Parts of South Florida have received healthy amounts of rain, but that level of accumulation is spotty, according to Mike Bettwy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
"It hasn't exactly been widespread," Bettwy said. "If you go back and include late last week we have had several areas with over 5 inches, but at Palm Beach itself, (Palm Beach International Airport), they've had about an inch to an inch and a half."
Gabe Margasak, a spokesman with the South Florida Water Management District, called the recent rain short-term relief. "But it wasn't enough to erase the long-term drought. For Palm Beach, you are looking at a more than 20-inch rainfall deficit since the dry season began last October," Margasak said.
Forecasters are calling for a 50-60 percent chance of rain through Friday, with the chance of rain dropping over the weekend. The county has received about 18 fewer inches of rain since Jan. 1 than the historical average, according to Bettwy.
