Heavy rain, wind and possible tornadoes in the forecast as system parks over Florida
The gloomy weather is back, and there’s the addition of a hazardous weather alert for South Florida — and a small craft advisory and chance for strong storms Sunday into Monday in the Florida Keys with possible coastal flooding.
The National Weather Service in Miami also upgraded its alert to include mention of possible tornado activity, strong wind and heavy rains in South Florida Sunday and Monday as strong weather system moves across the Florida Peninsula.
Rain chances also bumped up from an earlier prediction of 80% to 90% Sunday and Monday.
Add a high risk rip current alert for Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Bradenton through Sunday — but it’s not swimming and boating weather anyway.
How rotten is it going to stay, you ask, for the weekend that starts Hanukkah on Sunday night and into Christmas break?
Let’s just say you’d better hope for blankets or indoor games as a gift — and not swimming trunks.
“For this weekend, there will be the potential for a strong weather system to move across the region,” the National Weather Service in Miami says.
Though there is some uncertainty in how the system will evolve, “the potential for strong-wind and heavy-rain hazards could exist across South Florida this weekend,” the weather service said.
Sunday carries an 90% rain chance in South Florida and 80% in the Tampa Bay area.
Highs through Sunday are in the mid- to upper-70s in South Florida. Sunday night begins the drop in temperature to the mid-60s as a low.
The forecast improves in time for Christmas, with mostly sunny skies and 77 degrees in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Those pesky and dangerous rip currents are going to persist across much of Florida.
Bradenton’s conditions should be the same, with a 60% rain chance Saturday night and wind gusts in the 30 mph range and a sunny, 76-degree high on Christmas.
Going to Disney for the weekend? You’re going to get even wetter with a 100% chance of rain Sunday night as the front moves through. Christmas at the attraction mirrors South Florida’s and Tampa Bay’s agreeable mid-70s and sunny skies.
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 11:26 AM.
