Severe thunderstorms, high heat plaguing South Florida during holiday weekend
Heat and storms are on the menu Saturday night in much of South Florida. A change of weekend plans may be in store as forecasters issue a severe thunderstorm watch, projecting strong winds, lightning and hail.
“Hot temperatures will give way to strong [and] locally severe storms later this afternoon and evening,” the National Weather Service said.
The severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 8 p.m. and has been issued for 27 Florida counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Under the watch, these areas could see hail the size of ping-pong balls, scattered wind gusts up to 65 mph and frequent lightning.
While the watch ends tonight, there will still be a risk of isolated storms on Father’s Day and numerous thunderstorms possible for the Juneteenth holiday on Monday in Miami-Dade. Portions of Broward will be at a significant risk of thunderstorms on Monday.
“Primary impacts from the strongest storms will be strong to locally damaging wind gusts, hail, lightning and locally heavy rainfall,” according to the NWS’s hazardous weather outlook.
Forecasters are telling residents to plan to stop all outdoor activity or move to shelters under this risk levels over the next three days.
Even though the storms are coming, South Florida is still seeing excessive heat, with the heat index over 100 degrees in most areas. The high temperatures will remain throughout next week.
On Monday, the region’s heat index swelled to 103 degrees in Miami-Dade, just shy of breaking a record, spawning an excessive heat warning.
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