NBC 6 South Florida declared a Severe Weather Alert Day Thursday for severe storms that came through the area in the afternoon, bringing weather gusts of between 40-60 mph to most of the region.
The squall line that moved through brought impressive wind gusts. Broward County received the brunt of the storm. A top gust of 70 mph was recorded in Pompano Beach at a high elevation – the top of a building at Broward Health North.
Closer to the ground, gusts were recorded at 60 mph in Parkland and Coral Springs, and 55 mph in Coconut Creek. Crews were repairing downed power lines in Deerfield Beach.
Winds were lower in Miami-Dade County, where a gust of 53 mph was recorded at Opa-locka Executive Airport, the National Weather Service said.
Just before 4 p.m., the National Weather Service cancelled a tornado watch for Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties that had been issued until 7 p.m. Thursday.
A severe thunderstorm warning was also issued for parts of Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe, which expired at 3 p.m.
Local
Miami-Dade and Broward counties cancelled outdoor after-school activities due to the severe weather. Quarter-size hail and dangerous lightning were possible.
Spotty showers Thursday morning gave way to heavier showers and thunderstorms in parts of South Florida in the afternoon. Play was suspended at the Cadillac Championship in Doral as the rain came pouring down.
Highs warmed to the mid-80s during the day.
In Palm Beach County, several trees were uprooted in a Delray Beach neighborhood, with a townhouse on the 2600 block of Albatross Road damaged by a large tree that lost most of its upper branches. No one was home at the time, but Delray Beach Fire-Rescue said it could not get inside the townhouse to check for further damage because of the presence of a large dog.
Florida Power & Light responded to stabilize a power line that was affected by the fallen tree branches, Delray Beach Fire-Rescue said.
Friday will be a little more mild in South Florida, with windy conditions and highs around 78. By Saturday, there will be lower humidity with highs around 75.
The sunshine and low humidity should make this weekend a winner. Next week will offer up another warming trend, with thunderstorms working back into the forecast by Tuesday.
