Gusty winds, strong storms coming to South Florida, forecasters say. Could tornadoes form?
Strong thunderstorms with wind gusts up to 45 mph — accompanied by a chance of twisters — are coming to South Florida starting late Tuesday as a cold front swiftly traverses through the region, forecasters said.
A slight risk for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes across portions of Palm Beach and Broward counties is anticipated, the National Weather Service in Miami said Tuesday afternoon.
A tornado watch was issued for Broward and Palm Beach counties until 11 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasters say wind gusts also could reach up to 70 mph.
While it’s less likely that Miami-Dade County will see storms as intense, the weather agency noted a tornado or two could form anywhere in the region.
“The heavy rainfall is not as big of a concern; the wind, stronger storms and isolated tornadoes are the primary concern,” National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto said Monday.
According to the weather agency, several other weather hazards are already underway.
Here’s the forecast breakdown for Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
When will the storms subside?
Expect a mostly cloudy and breezy Tuesday afternoon with 20 to 25 mph south winds with gusts up to 40 mph across South Florida, the weather agency said. Temperatures should remain in the mid to upper 70s.
Thunderstorms, some severe, with up to 25 mph winds and a 50% chance of rain will be the highlight of the evening and early Wednesday morning. Lows are forecast from the low to the mid-60s.
A wind advisory is in effect until 7 p.m. Tuesday as sustained winds are expected to reach 20-30 mph with gusts as high as 45 mph.
“Isolated tornadoes and a few damaging wind gusts will be possible this evening,” the weather agency said on X, formerly Twitter. “As this will occur after dark, please pay extra attention to warnings and alerts!”
But by 7 a.m. Wednesday, rain chances and wind speeds are expected to drop as the cold front moves away. Temperature highs are anticipated to be in the mid-70s and lows from the upper 50s to the mid 60s.
Other hazards to consider
Severe thunderstorms, strong wind gusts and tornadoes are not all the weather hazards you should be looking out for.
Dangerous marine and beach conditions are impacting the region with a significant risk of large breaking waves lasting through Tuesday and life-threatening rip currents until Saturday.
If you were planning to get on a boat, keep this in mind, too.
Waves up to 12 feet are anticipated to cause dangerous conditions for boaters through early Wednesday.
This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 5:52 PM.
