MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Constant rain soaked most of Central Florida on Monday, with at least one city setting a record for rainfall.

The rain is expected to linger for most of the week and will help keep the threat of wildfires at bay for at least a little while, forecasters said.

"The soil is pretty damp, so I would think for the time being there shouldn't be too many wildfire concerns," John Pendergrast, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, told Local 6 News partner Florida Today.

On Monday, Melbourne recorded 2.58 inches of rain, which set a new record for the date.

The heaviest amounts fell between Rockledge and Palm Shores. The Pineda Crossing subdivision north of Melbourne saw as much as 4.1 inches, Pendergrast said.

The occasionally heavy downpours created difficult driving conditions, as water pooled on roads throughout the county.

National Weather Service officials, however, said they had no reports of major flooding in the county.

John Fry, 62, didn't complain when he was caught in a rainstorm on his bicycle three miles from his Titusville home. Instead, he smiled and hoped his yard also was experiencing the much-needed dousing.

"The weather's going to happen, and you just have to take it as it comes," Fry said. "We need the rain, and I find the thunder and lightning exhilarating. ... I love Florida weather."

Students at Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville were briefly evacuated outside after a possible lightning strike caused sparks and smoke on the east side of the school.

"We're not sure if it directly hit the building or just hit nearby and caused a power surge," said Scott Gaenicke, division chief of Titusville Fire and Emergency Services. "There was heavy rain in the area at the time, and that makes it difficult to determine."

No one was injured, and only an exit sign was damaged. Several students changed into dry gym clothes or had their parents bring clothes after standing outside the school for about 20 minutes.

"There was a full-fledged thunderstorm going on, and they did exactly what they were trained to do," Principal Jim Hickey said. "I'm proud of everyone. No one panicked."

Monday's rainfall total easily surpassed the previous record daily rainfall for May 18 -- 0.65 inches in 1959.

"Usually, our wet season doesn't start this early, so anything over an inch for mid-May is unusual," Pendergrast said.

A wind gust as high as 48 mph was recorded at 12:59 p.m. in Melbourne.

The rainfall helped ease the fire threat, although the potential for fires sparked by lightning strikes remained a concern Monday.

Over the weekend, a fire near Scottsmoor, close to the Volusia County line, quickly grew into a 1,500-acre blaze. Other brush fires have popped in various areas of the county -- from Titusville to Palm Bay -- in recent weeks.

Despite the downpour, the Space Coast remains below the rainfall average for this time of year.

So far, Melbourne has gotten 7.82 inches of rain. Normal for the year to date is 11.93 inches.

"There's more to come, so that is good news," Pendergrast said.

The forecast Tuesday and Wednesday calls for a 70 percent chance of rain. Rain chances decrease to 50 percent Thursday, 40 percent Friday and 30 percent Saturday.

Meanwhile, a home in Altamonte Springs was struck by lightning Monday morning. A tree was also downed in the area.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.