Record Heat Possible, Then Strong Storms
DORAL (CBS4) -- This final day of March is feeling more like June with the warmth, the humidity and the potential for Summer-like afternoon storms.
Thursday morning, temperatures were in the mid to upper 70s and warmed up quickly ahead of a strong cold front that will move across South Florida Thursday night. The area will be flirting with record heat as highs in the afternoon will be soaring to the low 90s.
CBS4 Meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez forecasts a high of 91 degrees in Miami and in Ft. Lauderdale. The old record in Miami is 91 set back in 2000 and in Ft. Lauderdale the old record is 92 set back in 2000.
Thursday afternoon, the clouds will build and rain will move in. All the ingredients are coming together to potentially produce a very active day across South Florida. All the heat and moisture will lead to a very unstable atmosphere and a front currently across the Panhandle and an area of low pressure in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico will help trigger strong storms with the slight chance of severe weather.
Dangerous storms are already slamming Central Florida ahead of the powerful front that could lead to a second day of severe weather for the northern parts of Florida. The National Weather service has issued a Tornado watch until 1:00 p.m. for a large portion of the peninsula including Glades, Hendry Palm Beach counties and the Lake Okeechobee region because conditions are favorable for tornadoes in and around the watch area with the potential of thunderstorms producing winds in excess of 60 miles-per-hour.
Strong to severe storms are forecast to develop around the Lake Okeechobee region through the early afternoon and will likely move across the remainder of South Florida later in the afternoon, this evening and tonight. Storms may produce dangerous lightning and damaging winds with gusts of 40 to 55 miles per hour. Torrential downpours are possible that may lead to localized flooding around low lying and poor drainage areas due to the wide spread rainfall earlier this week. There is also the potential for quarter sized or even golf ball sized hail with the strongest storms. There is even the slight chance of a tornado. The chance for strong to severe storms remains high through Thursday night and Friday morning there may be some showers around as well.
Behind the front, high pressure will build in and this weekend temperatures will drop to a more comfortable level with highs closer to normal in the mid to upper 80s and lows cooling down to the lower 60s in some areas. Drier air will take over and humidity levels will drop with plenty of sunshine.
