With a deluge descending on Miami and winds whipping up trouble, South Florida is battening down the hatches. The National Weather Service has forecasted heavy rain and thunderstorms for the region, emphasizing that "a flood watch is in effect today through Saturday for 2”-4” of rainfall and 6"+ locally."
Residents are facing a double whammy, with a wind advisory in place until 8 p.m. Saturday where winds could blow sustained at 20-25 mph, and gusts might soar up to or over 40 mph. According to National Weather Service, forecasters are predicting a high likelihood of "showers and possibly a thunderstorm" with new rainfall amounts hitting between a half and three quarters of an inch on the low end.
The weather chaos kicked off early Friday as the Florida Keys witnessed their share of rain showers and thunderstorms. According to NBC Miami, the relentless rainfall will continue to swell throughout the day. For those hunkered down in southern Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys, there's a slight risk (level 2) for waterspouts and damaging winds entwined with these relentless storms.
Alarmingly, the rainfall isn't spread evenly geographically — the heaviest precipitation is slated to pummel the south, while areas north may escape with less impact. The threat of flooding looms large, and the same goes for Saturday when morning showers are predominantly forecasted for the south. As the day heats up, "another round of activity blooms," according to NBC Miami, leaving alongside it a risk of "heavy rain with flooding concerns, damaging wind, and an isolated tornado."
Weather forecasts indicate an end to the precipitation chaos by Saturday evening, giving way to a sunnier disposition for Sunday. The week ahead is looking up, with the forecast promising "Nice weather takes us into next week," a welcome reprieve for South Floridians weathering the current storm.
