South Florida’s weekend will have storms and dust
If only Elon Musk could build a super fan to blow away some discomfort heading our way.
We’re talking about possibly strong thunderstorms on Friday and the arrival of Saharan dust into Florida on Saturday or Sunday, according to Barry Baxter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
There’s a 70% chance of storms in South Florida on Friday, according to the service and higher in other parts of the state. Will the rain tamp down the dust? And the temperatures?
“We’re expecting rainfall on Friday but it looks like the core of the dust won’t be here until the weekend — Saturday, Sunday — so what’s happening is we have a low level trough that’s moving to the Bahamas now that’s going to swing through us tomorrow. And then right behind that the tropics are actually pulling that dust behind it, over us,” Baxter said on Thursday morning.
Friday storms in South Florida could produce heavy rainfall and flooding, along with gusty southeasterly winds around 14 mph, and also lightning.
The Keys could also see unsettled weather into late Sunday night and through Wednesday.
The slight upshot? Depending on how much cloud coverage we get Friday, it might not be quite as hot as Thursday’s tripledigit heat index. Temperatures will still climb into the mid- and upper-80s, Baxter says.
“As we get more [cloud] coverage it’s going to keep the temperatures down a little bit. But still, with higher dew points, I still say it’s going to make it feel like around 90 because it’s just so humid.”
Expect a 40% rain chance Saturday and highs in the upper 80s and a 20% rain chance on Sunday in South Florida. Rain chances tick back up to 40% Tuesday into mid-week.
As for the Saharan dust, it could produce pretty and hazy sunsets but also exacerbate health issues, warns AccuWeather.
The dust has already made its way into the Caribbean.
“Some of the dust is probably going to reach Florida. The biggest impact will be to make the sky appear hazy, but it can also give extra color to sunrises and sunsets,” AccuWeather reported.
“Saharan dust can irritate people’s eyes, ears, noses and throats with fine particles of silica and other minerals that can infiltrate lung tissue, aggravate sensitivities, and reduce visibility,” according to NASA.
Another possible issue to pay heed to this weekend is the risk of rip currents along Atlantic beaches, according to the weather service in Miami.
PBS has produced a documentary, “Rip Current Rescue,” to spotlight safety and survival tips. The documentary, partly filmed on Florida beaches, airs on public television stations and streams through the summer.