Rainy Pattern In Place, Waterspouts Off Key Largo

MIAMI (CBS4) – It was quite site for Captain D. Scott Fowler on the water of Key Largo on Thursday.

He said he spotted more than a dozen waterspouts and even managed to send CBS4 pictures of a few of them.

Waterspouts are a very common occurrence here in South Florida. In fact, waterspouts are more common in the Florida Keys than anywhere else in the world, according to CBS4 meteorologist Jeff Berardelli.

Most form inside fairly benign cumulus clouds with rapidly rising warm and moist air. These spouts are usually weak and dissipate quickly as they approach land. Every once in a while one of these weak waterspouts can come onshore. If this occurs it becomes a tornado but it typically will last on land only for a few moments. Even though these waterspouts are considered weak, they can contain winds to around 70 mph and may cause minor damage.

In a situation where waterspouts form as a consequence of a severe thunderstorm, these are actually real tornadoes over the water, said Berardelli. These can be much more dangerous, containing damaging winds and often move onto land. Once on land, if sustained by the parent thunderstorm, these tornadoes can cause major damage.

On Thursday strong storms will likely across South Florida. Berardelli said we are in an early summer pattern where warm, moist air and a westerly steering flow gives South Florida stormy set up. Storms develop in the Everglades and move from west to east, towards the east coast, as the day wears on. Once they arrive in South Florida they can reach strong to severe thresholds.

This is the pattern for our area through early evening. The storms will fade out later this evening and drier air will move in for Friday and the weekend. There will still be a few showers around through Mother's Day but expect some sun as well and more breeze.