South Florida will experience periods of intense rain, gusty winds and possible flooding for the remainder of the week, forecasters said Tuesday afternoon.
The weather is the result of a non-tropical low that is projected to form off the coast of Florida and Georgia. The system will create forces more akin to a winter nor’easter, forecasters said on Tuesday.
The east coast of Florida will experience strong northeast winds over the coming days, intensifying through Friday.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a Flood Advisory for parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Radar indicated particularly heavy rain in areas that had already been soaked in days prior. Between 1 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen with an additional 1 to 2 inches possible. Two to 3 inches fell in Palm Beach County.
The dynamic wind and rain produced a rotating funnel cloud near West Palm Beach on Tuesday afternoon, as reported by WPEC-Ch. 12 meteorologist Michael Ehrenberg.
Dramatic video of a rotating funnel cloud near West Palm Beach earlier this afternoon. Thanks to @Vytasweatherguy for capturing this! @CBS12 @natwxdesk pic.twitter.com/teQFJUPgAF
— Michael Ehrenberg (@MichaelCBS12) September 19, 2023
Weather for the remainder of the week includes plenty of thunderstorms, an 80% chance of rain most days, and the potential for flooding, particularly in the urbanized areas that have already received rain earlier in the week, said National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Garcia.
“The big thing we’ll need to watch through the week is a chance of heavy rainfall and maybe even flooding, and strong wind gusts from the thunderstorms that could develop,” Garcia said. Flooding could occur Tuesday through Friday, he said.
The NWS forecasts hazardous marine conditions off Palm Beach and Broward counties on Friday, and extending to Miami Dade County waters on Saturday. Those conditions include sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots and seas equal or greater than 7 feet. These are considered hazardous conditions for small craft.
Wind from the offshore low will be combining with remnant swells from Hurricane Lee to affect beach and ocean conditions.
The National Weather Service is predicting a high risk of rip currents in Palm Beach County through Saturday, and a moderate risk in Broward County most of the week through Friday. Saturday will see high rip current risks from Palm Beach County south to Key Biscayne in Miami-Dade County.
The non-tropical low should move north toward Georgia and the Carolinas and “could acquire some subtropical characteristics this weekend if it remains offshore,” according to the latest advisory. It has a 30% chance to develop in the next seven days.
“Regardless of subtropical development, this low could bring gusty winds, heavy rain, and high surf conditions to portions of the coastal Carolinas into the coastal Mid-Atlantic states this weekend,” according to the latest advisory. “Gale-force northerly winds are expected off the southeastern U.S. coast Friday through Saturday,” said the National Hurricane Center.