Explain how Florida's sea breezes can increase the potential for wildfires

What will be the ideal response?


ANSWER: In general, sea breezes in Florida help produce that state’s abundant summertime rainfall. On the Atlantic side of the state, the sea breeze blows in from the east; on the Gulf shore, it moves in from the west. The convergence of these two moist wind systems, coupled with daytime convection, produces cloudy conditions and showery weather over the land. Over the water (where cooler, more stable air lies close to the surface), skies often remain cloud-free.
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On many days during June and July of 1998, however, Florida’s converging wind system did not materialize. The lack of converging surface air and its accompanying showers left much of the state parched. Huge fires broke out over northern and central Florida, which left hundreds of people homeless and burned many thousands of acres of grass and woodlands. A weakened sea breeze and dry conditions have produced wildfires on numerous other occasions, including the spring of 2006.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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