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5 tips for driving during summer rains

June is the official start of the rainy season in Florida. For the next several months there will be frequent and heavy showers during the day.

Credit: 10 Tampa Bay
Motorists driving in the rain. WTSP photo

Tampa, FL -- June is the official start of the rainy season in Florida. For the next several months there will be frequent and heavy showers during the day.

"We tend to get a lot of quiet mornings, but potentially big booming thunderstorms in the afternoon that produce rainfall rates of two inches an hour," said Ashley Batey, 10News WTSP meteorologist.

Heavy downpours, low visibility, and flooding make for a perfect storm of dangerous driving conditions. The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the number of accidents typically double or triple on a rainy summer afternoon.

"Unfortunately, people don't realize they need to change their driving behavior and habits as the weather changes," said Sgt. Steve Gaskins of the Florida Highway Patrol.

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