Tornadoes and high winds ripped through parts of Florida on Tuesday as a storm ahead of an approaching cold front sent a powerful squall line across the state, which is expceted to impact South Florida into Wednesday morning.
The system is causing tumultuous weather in the region already and will bring the possibility of isolated tornadoes as the storms move from the northwest to the southeast into the region, NWS Miami forecasters said Tuesday evening.
Forecasters projected the line to hit Palm Beach County and most of Broward between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., and coastal metro Broward and most of Miami-Dade anywhere between 9 p.m. and midnight. Thunderstorms are also possible, with a slight risk for northern Palm Beach County and a marginal risk for the rest of South Florida, NWS Miami forecasters said Tuesday night.
Palm Beach County and at least seven other counties were under a tornado watch for much of the night. The tornado watch in place for Volusia, Lake, Seminole, Orange, Osceola and Brevard counties expired at 9 p.m., according to the NWS Melbourne.
The watch that lasted until 11 p.m. spanned from the eastern coast, across central parts of the state and to areas on the southwest coast, extending as far north as Sebastian in Indian River County.
Palm Beach County is at an elevated tornado risk while south of Boca Raton into Miami-Dade County is at a limited risk, according to forecasters.
A well-organized squall line was spanning from Fort Pierce to just south of Naples shortly after 9 p.m. and was expected to remain capable of bringing damaging winds or a short-lived tornado to South Florida for a few more hours into the night, according to a severe weather outlook the NWS issued about 9 p.m.
Forecasters have watched the line slowly weaken throughout the evening, the outlook said. It is expected to weaken as it moves into the region, but southeastern parts of the state could still see strong storms overnight.
One of the main risks Tuesday night for the eastern coast of South Florida and the western coast are marine and beach hazards, according to the weather service’s update Tuesday night. Both regions along the coast are at a significant risk for rip currents, high waves and strong winds.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service measured wind gusts of 51 mph at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach.
Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph are possible throughout South Florida with gusts between 40 and 45 mph, forecasters said in an updated briefing Tuesday night. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory that will be in effect until 1 a.m. Wednesday.
“As this will be occurring at night, it is even more important to pay attention to warnings and alerts!” the National Weather Service said in a statement.
“Models are forecasting the squall line to start to break up as it travels across South Florida, so it won’t be as potentially (damaging) as we saw in the Panhandle overnight,” said NWS meteorologist Barry Baxter. “But it will still bring some wind up to maybe 60 mph, and we can’t rule out an isolated tornado. The environment is still favorable for it.”
Baxter said if there are any tornadoes they would likely be relatively weak, such as the one that hit Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
The National Weather Service posted an updated radar loop on social media platform X showing storms on the way to South Florida from the northwest as of about 7 p.m.
1/9 7PM Radar Update:
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms continues to approach South Florida from the northwest and will move through the region this evening and overnight.
As this will occur after dark, please pay extra attention to warnings and alerts!! #flwx— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) January 10, 2024
Up to 60 mph wind gusts were possible in areas of Charlotte, Desoto, Manatee, Sarasota and Lee counties as a severe storm was in the North Port area, with the weather service warning of damage to roofs, sidings and trees.
Travelers were cautioned to expect delays at several airports in the storm’s path, including at Orlando International Airport, where a 60 mph gust was recorded in the early evening, Tampa International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to a post on X from the Federal Aviation Administration. Orlando airport officials said on X that their Gate Links and Terminal Links resumed operating after high winds shut them down, though a ground stop was expected to remain in place until at least 9:45 p.m.
A cold front will sweep through behind the squall line, Baxter said, causing temperatures to drop to the upper 50s near the coast and low- to mid-50s inland.
Don’t expect cool crisp weather, however. The front will then reverse course and head back north Wednesday night, as a warm front from the south pushes it toward South Florida, which could cause cloud cover later in the week.
The larger storm system associated with the squall line caused tornadoes and nearly baseball-sized hail in Florida’s Panhandle early Tuesday and prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue a state of emergency for 49 counties in North Florida.
The National Weather Service indicates tornado risk for Tuesday night. (NWS)Fifty-five mph winds moved through parts of Alabama and Georgia by sunrise Tuesday, and into the Florida Panhandle. There were several reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes, the National Weather Service said, and a tornado warning advised people to take shelter on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee.
In Walton County, Florida, a wind gust of 106 mph was recorded before dawn near the coast.
“We still have potentially strong storms in that area through (Tuesday) morning and the potential for more severe weather and tornadoes,” meteorologist Lance Franck in Tallahassee said.
A section of Panama City Beach, Florida, showed parts of roofs blown away, furniture, fences and debris strewn about and a house that appeared tilted on side, leaning on another home, WJHG-TV reported.
Information from The Associated Press and the Orlando Sentinel was used to supplement this report.
