Weather alert: Heavy rains and possible flooding are returning to South Florida
More rain is on the way, South Florida. And it’s not going anywhere for a while.
Widespread rainfall swelling to 1 to 3 inches through Sunday morning are forecast by the National Weather Service in Miami, with a reasonable higher end in the 3 to 4-plus inche range. Locally, higher amounts remain possible, the service said Thursday morning.
Yes, ESPN’s nationally broadcast college football pregame show on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus Saturday morning would look so glorious under the sun. And clear skies would also look good Saturday evening when the No. 4 Hurricanes host the Florida Gators at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
But, sigh: It’s a 60% rain chance day and night Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
The weather service forecasts near 40% at the start of “Game Day” and about 50% at kickoff Saturday, with temperature highs just above 80 and the highest thunderstorm activity expected between 3 and about 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, the forecast calls for mostly sunny skies Saturday on the UF campus in Gainesville.
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The South Florida forecast is a concern for its effect on traffic and your outdoor activity plans — but yet again, after what seemed a drier than usual summer, we will get plenty of water for our lawns and outdoor plants.
Temperatures will run from the mid-80s down to the upper-70s on overcast days, with “feels-like” temperatures mid-days at 90 around noon.
For Thursday, the weather service forecast calls for an 80% chance of rain, starting in the morning and increasing later with possible flooding.
“Widespread storms will be likely into the afternoon and evening,” said meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez of CBS News Miami.
Escaping to the Florida Keys? You’ll also face days of wet weather with a stretch of showers and thunderstorms moving along the Straits, Gulf and nearshore waters of the Upper and Middle Keys before settling into a rainy weekend pattern.
Boaters in the Upper Keys can expect wind gusts near 20 knots amid bouts of heavy downpours reducing visibility. Cloud to surface lightning strikes are possible, the Key West service said Thursday. Island communities between Lower Matecumbe Key and Ocean Reef can expect up to an additional quarter of an inch of rainfall.
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This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 11:43 AM.
