Weather

Tornado Watch Issued, 70 MPH Wind Gusts Likely During FL Storms

As a powerful storm system moves across the state, much of Central FL is now under a tornado watch, the National Weather Service said.

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As a powerful storm system moves across the state, much of Central FL is now under a tornado watch, the National Weather Service said. Several tornadoes are believed to have touched down in the Panhandle Tuesday morning. Damage in Bay County pictured.
As a powerful storm system moves across the state, much of Central FL is now under a tornado watch, the National Weather Service said. Several tornadoes are believed to have touched down in the Panhandle Tuesday morning. Damage in Bay County pictured. (Courtesy of Bay County Sheriff's Office)

Updated: 1:37 p.m., Tuesday

FLORIDA — A tornado watch has been issued through 9 p.m. for much of Central Florida as a powerful low-pressure storm system moves across the Gulf and out of the Panhandle Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office.

The watch extends to Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties.

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A couple of strong tornadoes and isolated hail up to the size of a quarter are possible, while scattered wind gusts up to 70 mph are likely, forecasters with the agency said.

The storm system will bring severe thunderstorms with the potential for downpours, flooding, isolated tornadoes, strong wind gusts and hail to much of the Florida peninsula, forecasters with the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office said.

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At least four tornadoes hit Walton County in the Panhandle Tuesday morning with another coming ashore in Panama City Beach, WMBB reported. Serious storm damage was also reported across Bay County.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Florida State Guard Monday “to prepare for any impacts of the storm,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

A wind advisory is in effect in the Tampa Bay area until 7 p.m., NWS forecasters posted to X. The region could see sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts of up to 40 and 50 mph at times.

The area will start to see strong wind gusts between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., before the rain starts later this afternoon, meteorologist Denis Phillips with ABC Action News posted on his Facebook page.

Winds will be stronger along the coast and further north with St. Petersburg, Clearwater and New Port Richey potentially experiencing gusts of 45 mph, while Crystal River could see gusts up to 47 mph, he said.

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While weather across the region is “windy, warm and humid (Tuesday) morning,” the thunderstorms won’t arrive until mid-afternoon, Phillips added, noting that the strongest part of the system will likely “move through most areas in just 20 (to) 30 minutes.”

The storm system is moving west to east and will affect the state’s east coast by evening, he said.
Rainfall totals in most areas will be 1 to 3 inches, while some heavier-hit areas could see 3 to 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

North of Crystal River will see the most severe weather between noon and 3 p.m. while Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, as well as parts of Manatee, Polk and Sarasota counties will be hit by the strongest storms from 2 to 6 p.m., the agency said. South of those areas will see its worst storms from 5 to 9 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm risk is in effect for Tuesday and Tuesday night, with a level 2 elevated risk forecast for Sarasota County north into Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties, the agency said.

A level 3 enhanced risk is in place north of this area, affecting parts of Citrus, Hernando, Levy and Pasco counties. A limited, less severe level 1 risk is in place for Charlotte and Lee counties.

Scattered to numerous severe thunderstorms, some intense, are possible as the storm system moves across the state. The biggest threats from the storms are damaging winds, isolated tornadoes and large hail, NWS forecasters said.

A gale watch and a coastal flood watch have also been issued for Tuesday and Tuesday night through Wednesday morning along Florida’s west coast from the Fort Myers area to Chiefland, NWS said.

The greater Tampa Bay area, from Sarasota County up to Hernando County, can expect coastal flooding up to 2 to 3 feet, according to forecasters. Counties to the north will see the worst flooding, up to 2 to 4 feet, along the coast, while the Punta Gorda and Fort Myers areas could see up to 1 to 2 feet of flooding.

There’s also an elevated marine hazard risk issued for the west coast on Tuesday and Tuesday night with a significant risk in some areas further north, NWS said.

By Wednesday, the winds and clouds will decrease as cooler weather moves in, the agency said. That evening, it’s expected to be cloudy and cool with some showers across Southwest Florida.

Thursday will start off cool along the west coast, becoming partly cloudy and mild as the day goes on, forecasters said.

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