Drought

Residents in those counties will be able to water twice a week. Some cities and counties are keeping once-a-week watering restrictions by local ordinance.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District voted to extend the restrictions until Dec. 31 for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Despite the weekend's wet weather, Tampa officials say there's not enough water to go around.

Restrictions for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties have been extended until Sept. 1.

Sarasota's burn ban automatically took effect on May 5.

Many parts of South Florida have received over a foot of rain and the rains are forecast to continue, intense, at least through Friday. The ground is already saturated exacerbating dangerous floods.

As the drought worsens for parts of Florida, the rainy season coming to the rescue ... just in time.

The ban in Sarasota County will be lifted once the index reaches acceptable levels for seven consecutive days.

Counties across the greater Tampa Bay region and along the west coast are under water restrictions, and the state's wettest season is over until late spring. Meanwhile, portions of the east coast were deluged with rain.

Residents of Sanibel, and north Cape Coral, are being reminded about the drought unfolding in coastal Southwest Florida and to stick to the water restrictions.

Southwest Florida is in the midst of an abnormally dry to moderate drought.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is limiting lawn-watering in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties to once a week until July 1.