The latest stretch of beautiful weather in the area is about to come to an end.

There's a 90 percent chance of rain Monday for St. Patrick's Day.

Winds started to pick up Sunday afternoon, with gusts of more than 35 mph, said Bay News 9 meteorologist Diane Kacmarik.

There is the potential for some strong to possibly severe storms Monday. The main threat will be high, gusty winds with heavy rain and frequent lightning.

The culprit is a potent storm system to the northwest that will pass Florida to the north while sending upper-level energy this way. A low pressure area developing in the Gulf of Mexico will become a rainmaker for the Manatee County area.

Rain chances will begin Sunday night. Monday will open with scattered showers that become much more widespread as the low-pressure area moves across the Gulf of Mexico.

"Showers and storms will first affect the Nature Coast, starting after midnight," Kacmarik said.

The rain will last about a day, and conditions will improve dramatically Tuesday afternoon. The second half of the work and school week will be sunny, dry and warm.