Storm leaves us cool but with sun

Tropical Storm Philippe dissipated Sunday afternoon after spinning up at least two tornadoes in Palm Beach County and leaving cool temperatures for the start of Halloween week.

The National Weather Service confirmed one tornado touched down near the 4000 block of 88th Court at the South Parry Trailer Village mobile home park near Boynton Beach’s northwest side.

The other landed in West Palm Beach at Forest Hill Boulevard and Interstate 95. Both tornadoes touched down Saturday and were estimated to be 75 to 80 mph.

The weather service surveyed damage Sunday and is also investigating whether a third tornado was in downtown West Palm Beach.

The winds damaged some structures, including several mobile homes in Boynton Beach, according to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. Crews responded just after 6 p.m. Saturday to reports of damaged homes inside Parry Trailer Village.

Crews reported moderate damage to the homes and debris throughout the neighborhood. Firefighters went through the neighborhood looking for any possible victims and assessing the damage, Captain Albert Borroto said.

Sunday night’s low in Fort Lauderdale was forecast to hit 52 degrees as a cold front pushed in from the north, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures will gradually climb through the week, with a low of 72 forecast for Tuesday, the night of trick-ortreating.

Philippe’s visit did pound South Florida with some substantial rainfall totals, authorities said.

By 5 p.m. Sunday, the storm had fallen apart about 290 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and merged with a frontal system moving at 46 mph.

The disorganized center of the system passed over the Florida Straits and the southeastern edge of Miami-Dade County about 3 or 4 a.m. Sunday, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.

The storm, which formed just before 5 p.m. Saturday, had sustained winds of just over 39 miles an hour, which qualified it as a tropical storm, but most of those winds were on the eastern side and remained offshore.

A tropical storm watch was issued for coastal South Florida from Miami-Dade to the Upper Keys on Saturday.

Among rainfall totals reported for the 24 hour period ending at 5 a.m. Sunday were up to 10 inches in Lighthouse Point; 5.07 inches at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport; 6.71 inches at Palm Beach International Airport; and 5.62 inches in Boca Raton.

The outlook for today is sunny with a high near 72, a north wind of 6 to 9 mph.