PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1253 PM EDT THU MAY 31 2007

...LAKE OKEECHOBEE SETS ALL TIME RECORD LOW...
...MUCH NEEDED RAINFALL ON THE WAY...

THE AVERAGE LAKE LEVEL FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT
TODAY WAS 8.94 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. THIS LAKE LEVEL BREAKS THE
PREVIOUS LOWEST LEVEL REACHED ON MAY 24 2001. WITH DRY WEATHER TODAY
AND A CONTINUING EASTERLY WIND HELPING EVAPORATION RATES IT IS
LIKELY THAT THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE LEVEL WILL CONTINUE TO FALL.

SOME RELIEF IS EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO THIS WEEKEND IN THE FORM OF
WIDESPREAD RAIN ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA, AS A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE
AREA OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST GULF
OF MEXICO IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHEAST TOWARDS THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA ON SATURDAY. THIS WOULD RESULT IN MUCH NEEDED RAIN ALONG
WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA BEGINNING
FRIDAY AND LASTING INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. DEPENDING ON EXACTLY
WHERE THE RAIN FALLS AND IF IT IS HEAVY ENOUGH, IT COULD START A
SLOW RISING TREND FOR THE LAKE AND HELP IMPROVE THE OVERALL DROUGHT
SITUATION ACROSS THE REGION.