It’s going to be wet over the next several days in South Florida: The rain will be intermittent, but possibly intense at times.
The primary factor in the hit-or-miss soggy weather is a low off Florida’s east coast that is expected to form into a tropical storm while it nears the coast of North Carolina starting Friday. The storm has a trajectory that will take it into North Carolina, Virginia and possibly Delaware, prompting tropical storm warnings in all those states, and storm surge forecasts that sent 3 feet of surge well into Chesapeake Bay.
Though the system is moving north, it will continue to send wet weather toward our region for the next several days, said National Weather Service Miami meteorologist Donal Herrigan on Thursday.
Just over 1 inch of rainfall was recorded Thursday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and about 1.5 inches at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, according to NWS Miami preliminary data.
Evening thunderstorms on Thursday in southern Broward County were capable of creating funnel clouds, possible hail and gusty winds. The rainfall caused a flood warning to briefly go into effect, including Pembroke Pines and Sawgrass Mills, about 6:30 p.m. Wind gusts between 42 and 70 mph were recorded about that time in several parts of the county.
The weather service said that the total rainfall over Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the region would be from 1 to 2 inches. The bursts of rain will be staggered by drier air moving in from the northwest.
In a worst-case-scenario prediction, NWS Miami said rainfall amounts through Saturday could be between 2 and 3 inches in Palm Beach County, 1.5 to 2 inches in Broward and 2 to 3 inches in Miami-Dade.
Intense rainfall could produce some nuisance flooding, Herrigan said.
In a release Thursday afternoon, the weather service said strong north to northeast winds and swells are expected to bring deteriorating beach and boating conditions to the waters off Palm Beach and Broward counties beginning late Friday and lasting over the weekend. Forecasters anticipate rough surf, waves of 4 to 6 feet, and dangerous rip currents.
Forecasters said that temperatures will reach the mid-80s to lower-90s. Temperatures could drop to the 70s overnight.
Harrigan said heat indices will be slightly lower as a front from the north moves in, lowering humidity. Rain chances will drop a bit Saturday as well. Tropical moisture will return Sunday and Monday, however, increasing the odds of heavy rains.
