Tornadoes Are More Powerful Than We Realize

Severe thunderstorms are focusing on parts of Florida Wednesday ahead of a fast-moving cold front.

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The cold front is accompanied by a fairly vigorous upper-air disturbance pinwheeling around a developing gyre of low pressure aloft in the eastern U.S.

(MORE: Omega Block Brings Changes This Week)

Fortunately, the front will sweep offshore by Thursday morning, but, in the meantime, central and south Florida will see thunderstorms, a few of which could turn severe.

(MORE: Interactive Radar Map | Watch vs. Warning | Don't Ignore Severe T-Storm Warnings)

Severe Weather Forecast

Wednesday:

• Scattered severe t-storms are possible mainly in South Florida through the evening.
• Threat: Damaging straight line winds, a few tornadoes, hail, and local flash flooding
• CITIES: Miami | Key West

Severe Weather Reports

Early Wednesday morning, an isolated severe t-storm dropped up to nickel-size hail west of Orlando. 

A line of strong to severe t-storms came ashore in the north side of the Tampa/St. Pete metro area, with wind gusts up to 55 mph, triggering some power outages in the city of Tampa. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed east and southeast of Brooksville in Hernandon County. Over 7.5 inches of rain was measured in just six hours near Lakewood Ranch, in Manatee County.

Tuesday, about 116 reports of severe weather, mainly damaging straight-line winds and hail, were received by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in the Southeast, from just south of Washington D.C. to south Georgia and north Florida. This follows up an active weekend and early-week of severe thunderstorms, including a succession of hailstorms in the Nation's Capital Monday evening.

(MORE: D.C. Metro Hail | This Past Weekend's Severe Weather | Remembering May, 3, 1999)

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