What’s with this wind and why isn’t there a warning in Miami? A weather change is coming
Gusty winds knocked over plants and other items outside some Miami-Dade homes Thursday morning.
That led us to wonder: Have we missed a wind warning from the National Weather Service?
We have not. At least, not in South Florida, said weather service meteorologist George Rizzuto.
“There’s not a high wind warning,” he said. “We’re not quite at that threshold today.”
The threshold for an official wind warning would be sustained winds of 40 mph for at least an hour. We’re at about 25 mph and we may get up to 30 later Thursday, according to Rizutto. “We’re well away from that right now.”
A high risk of rip currents for beaches in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties is in effect through Thursday evening, though.
Why are we windy, though?
“Just basically, we’re stuck in an area of a tight pressure gradient. So that’s inducing pretty breezy conditions across the area,” Rizzuto said..
How long will the winds last?
The wind should reduce a bit heading into Thursday night and Friday morning, Rizzuto said.
So if you have loose items in the yard, consider reinforcing them.
Will it rain?
“Today will be the last dry day and then we’ll bring back some chances for rain through the whole weekend,” Rizzuto said.
Friday through Monday a cold front will stall out just to the north of South Florida, near the Okeechobee region, and that’s going to bring some chances for some scattered showers and maybe isolated thunderstorms beginning Friday afternoon, Rizzuto said.
Rain chances are highest Saturday and Sunday nights at 50% and 70% in South Florida.
“So our dry period is over,” Rizzuto said. “Unfortunately.”
Why unfortunately?
There is also a marginal risk of severe weather over the areas north of Alligator Alley on Saturday, fellow meteorologist Barry Baxter wrote in his hazardous weather outlook on Thursday. This may mean strong to severe storms with frequent lightning strikes, gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall is possible for that area.
Red flag warning
We already knew that the weather service had issued a red flag warning for parts of the state, including inland Southwest Florida and interior east Central Florida on Wednesday due to an increased risk of fire danger.
That’s because strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures in the 80s can bring hazardous fire weather conditions to some parts.
Crews battled a brush fire in a densely wooded area off Southwest Eighth Street and 137th Avenue in West Miami-Dade Tuesday. The fire burned more than 100 acres.
Drenching Disney
Orlando was under a wind advisory all day Thursday — not as severe as a wind warning — because of 35 mph gusts. Rain chances are 70% Thursday and Friday in Central Florida.
Miami Herald staff writer Michelle Marchante contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 1:05 PM.
