'Incredible' Lightning Rainbow Strikes Florida
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Striking images and video shared on social media captured the dramatic sight of lightning and rainbows lighting up the Florida sky.
The Context
The southwest Florida coast was forecast to see multiple rounds of slow-moving showers and thunderstorms by the National Weather Service (NWS) on Thursday. The agency warned that several inches of rainfall was possible, potentially leading to flash flooding in urban areas.
A photo posted to social media captures the striking moment when lightning bolts flashed beneath a rainbow-streaked sky.
A photo posted to social media captures the striking moment when lightning bolts flashed beneath a rainbow-streaked sky.
Matt Devitt/X
What To Know
The images were posted Thursday by WINK News chief meteorologist Matt Devitt on X, formerly Twitter.
"WOW! Incredible lightning and double rainbow combo this evening in Southwest Florida," Devitt said of the first image.
"Amazing rainbow and lightning combo illuminating the sky this evening in Port Charlotte, Florida," read his post accompanying the second.
Amazing rainbow and lightning combo illuminating the sky this evening in Port Charlotte, Florida! Credit: @WINKNews viewer Katie Johnson @spann @stormhour pic.twitter.com/ltiY1rQxSw — Matt Devitt (@MattDevittWX) June 20, 2025
The NWS said it issued a flood advisory for the Naples metropolitan area after heavy rainfall developed. The service said this followed between 2 and 4 inches of rain.
On Friday, the NWS forecast office in Miami said that more showers and thunderstorms were expected in the afternoon, primarily across interior and western South Florida. Much of the region would be hot and humid, with highs in the low 90s, it said.
What People Are Saying
NWS Miami, Thursday on X: "A pinned gulf breeze combined with ample atmospheric moisture will result in the potential of heavy rainfall & localized flooding along the Gulf coast of South Florida as slow moving showers and storms develop. Lightning & gusty winds are also possible with storms!
"Over the last several weeks, the focus of afternoon showers and storms has been across southwestern Florida while mainly dry conditions have continued along the east coast metro. Why? Slightly stronger easterly flow thanks to the persistent influence of the Bermuda High."
Meteorologist Matt Devitt, Thursday on X: "Classic, rainy season day in Southwest Florida with big rainfall amounts. 2 - 5" for many communities, leading to street flooding. More storms Friday too!"
What Happens Next
Elsewhere in the U.S., a heat wave is expected to bake swaths of the country from the Midwest to the East Coast starting Friday, with about one-third of the country set to contend with challenging temperatures, according to forecasters at AccuWeather.
Meteorologist Adam Douty told Newsweek that this stretch of heat will intensify over the Plains and Midwest through the weekend, shifting to the East by early next week. While temperatures are expected to ease in the middle or late next week, highs will still stay above normal in many regions, he said.
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In a word, wet. What's ahead for much of Florida through Fourth of July holiday
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What happens over the holiday weekend all depends on where, how or if that system develops, although there is "pretty good agreement for the unsettled pattern and flooding potential to continue through the weekend." If the right conditions are there, they could "potentially ignite tropical development," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert in an email Monday, June 30. "This is fairly common this time of the year, June and July, that you get old frontal boundaries kind of coming off the southeast coast and into the Gulf and stalling. And then you get a little area of spin to develop along that decaying cold front, and then that's how you get these usually fairly short-lived tropical systems early in the season. "They tend to be a little on the weaker side, but they can bring a lot of rain, especially if they do develop. I think that's what we might end up seeing here." "A frontal boundary is expected to stall and weaken off the southeast U.S. coast late this week. An area of low pressure could develop from the weakening front by the weekend over the Atlantic waters off the southeast U.S., over Florida, or over the eastern Gulf," the National Hurricane Center said. "Some gradual tropical or subtropical development could occur thereafter as the low drifts and moves little." ➤ National Hurricane Center tracking system that could stall over Florida Formation chance through 48 hours: low, near 0 percent. Formation chance through 7 days: low, 30 percent. "A cold front will dive off the coast late this week, and it may act as a catalyst for development either in the eastern Gulf or off the Southeast coast," DaSilva said. "The Fourth of July looks pretty wet overall for the state of Florida, especially the peninsula," DaSilva said. "This system poses no direct threat to Florida over the next five to seven days," the Florida Department of Emergency Management said. "However, this system could bring increased shower and thunderstorm activity and an increased rip current risk along the Gulf or Atlantic Coast later this week and will continue to be monitored closely. "Regardless of tropical development, local flooding rain risk remains into the weekend. Daily afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected. ... with a potential for flash flooding, the National Weather Service Jacksonville posted on X. "Models disagree on this exact point about where tropical development could occur," according to the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network. "The American model depicts a very broad, yet undefined, center of circulation. This wide area of low pressure would form west of Florida over the eastern Gulf. "The European model shows a low-pressure system remaining east of Florida, approximately 200 miles east of Cape Canaveral. "These two models represent two very different scenarios; they could produce opposite results regarding the weather for the holiday weekend in Florida," Florida Public Radio Emergency Network said. "If the American model verifies and a storm develops over the Gulf, there could be increased rainfall activity for the Florida peninsula during the holiday weekend. If the European model is confirmed, conditions are likely to remain drier than normal for the July 4th weekend." "If tropical system does eventually develop east of Florida or south of the Carolinas, steering currents are light, so it could well linger near the Gulf Stream into next week," said Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist with WeatherTiger. "Dry air and some northerly wind shear would most likely keep anything that develops weak." Truchelut is a Florida meteorologist who works with the USA TODAY Network. "For Florida's sake, it would be better for it to happen east of Florida because then it would likely just get pushed out to sea. "If it happens in the Gulf, it's likely to be pushed eastward into Florida, although there are some indications that, depending on the strength of the Bermuda High, it could actually push the storm a little farther west, maybe towards Louisiana. I think that's a fairly low chance right now," DaSilva said. "I think the most likely would it be just pushed east into Florida. But that's something that we would have to watch for as well." The system moving east over the U.S. could "ignite" a tropical system, the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network said. Even if there is no tropical development, expect plenty of rain this week and into the holiday weekend across Florida, DaSilva said. "We must continue to monitor the progress of the frontal system, which will inject and deliver sufficient energy near Florida. At this point, it is impossible to know precisely where, and if, a storm could form," Florida Public Radio Emergency Network said. "Expected rainfall totals over the five days across most of Florida and the eastern Gulf Coast are in the 2-4' range, with locally higher accumulations and slight chances of localized flash flooding. North Florida rain chances will decline in a few days, but the Florida peninsula will see elevated rain coverage through the weekend," Truchelut said. Here's the forecast around Florida for the holiday weekend: , western Panhandle: July 4th: High 92 Saturday: High 91; rain chances 30% Sunday: High 90; rain chances 50% , central Panhandle: July 4th: High 94; rain chances 50% Saturday: High 92; rain chances 40% Sunday: High 90; rain chances 50% Jacksonville, North Florida: July 4th: High 90; rain chances 60% Saturday: High 89; rain chances 60% Sunday: High 89; rain chances 70% to east-central Florida: July 4th: High 88; rain chances 70% Saturday: High 86; rain chances 70% Sunday: High 87; rain chances 70% West Palm Beach to , South Florida: July 4th: High 84; rain chances 70% Saturday: High 83; rain chances 70% Sunday: High 84; rain chances 60% to , Southwest Florida: July 4th: High 85; rain chances 70% Saturday: High 86; rain chances 70% Sunday: High 86; rain chances 70% Heading to one of the central Florida theme parks? Here's your forecast for Orlando: July 4: High 89; rain chances 80% Saturday: High 88; rain chances 80% Sunday: High 89; rain chances 70% The average date for the third named storm in the Atlantic basin is Aug. 3, DaSilva said. Andrea, the first named storm of the season formed a little later than average, on June 24, four days past the average date of June 20 for the first named storm of the season. Barry formed June 29, well ahead of the historical average of July 17. Water temperatures in the Gulf would support tropical development, but wind shear and some dry air from Saharan dust would work against tropical development, DaSilva said. "We don't anticipate this blowing up into a hurricane. If it develops, it's likely to be a tropical depression or a tropical storm, which could enhance the rainfall across Florida." "Most of the time, 'homegrown' storms tend to be on the weaker side in terms of wind speed, but a lot of times they tend to be big rainmakers," DaSilva said. "They also give people less time to react because they form closer to the coast. You don't have the luxury of watching it come across the entirety of the Atlantic. We're urging people to follow the forecast updates closely over the next couple of days. "It's possible that nothing develops at all and it just happens to be a wetter weekend. But there is also the possibility that we might end up with a tropical depression or a tropical storm, and it can really enhance the rainfall, and we could have some flooding issues. "There isn't enough time. If anything develops, it would only be over the water for a day or two before pushing inland if it develops in the eastern Gulf." National Weather Service Mobile on X, formerly known as Twitter National Weather Service Tallahassee on X, formerly known as Twitter National Weather Service Jacksonville on X, formerly known as Twitter National Weather Service Melbourne on X, formerly known as Twitter National Weather Service Miami on X, formerly known as Twitter National Weather Service Tampa Bay on X, formerly known as Twitter We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. This story was updated to add new information. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Rain on Fourth of July 2025? What's ahead for Florida this weekend
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Woman killed when tree falls on car in Delaware as East Coast storms intensify
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