From the 90s to the 50s? Florida weather is bouncing from one extreme to the other
Forecasters in Miami predict possible record highs for Thursday of 93 degrees. The National Weather Service in Melbourne said Wednesday, April 6, was more like July 6 given the hot and humid 90 degree mark in the Orlando and Kissimmee region.
Flooding
A flash flood warning was in place for parts of Palm Beach County Wednesday, forecasters say.
Until 8 p.m., areas including Riviera Beach, North Palm Beach and Lake Park will be under the flash flood warning.
Forecasters are advising everyone to move immediately to higher ground and avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
About 151,000 people will be potentially affected, according to NWS.
A tornado warning was issued for Palm Beach Gardens, Riviera Beach and North Palm Beach until 5:30 p.m. by the National Weather Service in Miami. It also included Lake Park and Juno Beach.
A severe thunderstorm over Juno Beach, moving southeast at 15 mph, was capable of wind gusts of 60 mph with quarter-sized hail, the weather service warned Wednesday afternoon.
Running hot and cold
But like plumbing, there’s a cold faucet, too, and a coming cold front will pull those summer-like temperatures down by more than 30 degrees this weekend when lows are expected to plunge to 55 degrees Saturday night into Sunday in Palm Beach County.
As you head south, those temperatures inch up as Miami-Dade looks toward a 59 degree low on Saturday night and Key West comparatively simmers at 67.
Orlando will chill out at 50 degrees Saturday night according to the weather service, and Bradenton and the Tampa Bay area will be in the mid- or upper 50s.
Planning any socials Saturday night on the University of Florida campus? Include warm sweaters as it’s set to dip to the low 40s in Gainesville.
Rain and storm chances
Rain and storm chances tick upward ahead of the front on Thursday with a 30% chance in South Florida, 70% in Orlando and 80% in the Tampa Bay area. Gainesville gets its 60% chance Wednesday.
Though storm chances were low on Wednesday for South Florida, weather service meteorologists posted a hazardous weather outlook given the possibility for some nasty business mainly over the Lake Okeechobee region. But isolated to scattered showers and strong thunderstorms were possible Wednesday evening over Palm Beach County and northeastern Broward, including the possibility of an isolated tornado.
If these storms materialize, hail could once again drop quarters over the lake and the strongest thunderstorms could bring wind gusts topping 58 mph.
#SafePlaceSelfie
Now that you know what may be coming in this taste of summer in the spring, residents and storm watchers know hurricane season is near — just under two months.
As part of its Weather-Ready Nation initiative, the National Weather Service has picked April 6 as its day to encourage people to create and practice their weather-safety plans.
“During severe weather, it is critical that everyone has a plan and understands where your safe places are, whether at home or in the office,” the weather service in Miami tweeted.
There’s a social media component, of course. Simply snap a picture of yourself in your “safe place” and post it to your favorite platform, such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, among them, with the hashtag #SafePlaceSelfie.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 9:53 AM with the headline "From the 90s to the 50s? Florida weather is bouncing from one extreme to the other."
