South Florida forecast: A sweltering Labor Day may lead to more afternoon thunderstorms
South Florida can expect hot temperatures with heat indexes in the triple digits as well as scattered thunderstorms and rain showers on Labor Day.
The day will start out sunny but then the chance of thunderstorms and showers will increase towards the afternoon, said Miami-based National Weather Service meteorologist Paxton Fell, who told the Miami Herald that the chance of bad weather was “50-50.”
There could be localized flooding, gusty winds, and lightning, according to the hazardous weather outlook report, as well as a slight possibility of waterspouts on the Atlantic Coast. There will also be light winds.
“It will be similar to what we have seen in the past few days,” she said.
The risk of rip tides is low and surf height is 1 to 2 feet in coastal parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties on Monday. However, there is the risk of encountering rip currents in the water, warns the National Weather Service, particularly near “groins, jetties, reefs and piers.” The NWS has a guide on how to stay safe and avoid becoming trapped in rip currents you can find here.
For the rest of the week, Miami’s weather report will be a mixed bag of cloudy and sunny conditions, with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms through Sunday. The chance of storms will hover between 30% and 50% depending on the day. The temperature lows will be in the 70s and the highs will be in the upper 80s.
The entire region of South Florida can also expect rain, thunder and lightning through the week. And Hurricane Larry, a Category 3 storm headed near Bermuda later this week, could bring dangerous conditions for smaller boats along the eastern coast of the United States.
Fell urged South Floridians to stay vigilant and hydrated as they celebrate Labor Day.
“Keep up with the weather, stay cool and make sure you have water and sunscreen,” said Fell.
For more information on South Florida weather conditions, you can head over to the National Weather Service website, or call the NWS at 305-229-4522 to hear an automated forecast. You can also find more information about tropical cyclones advisories and forecasts at the National Hurricane Center website.
This story was originally published September 6, 2021 at 11:27 AM.