BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Parts of South Florida are bracing for gusty showers and thunderstorms Saturday, with forecasters warning of winds up to 45 miles per hour and flashes of lightning as cells move quickly across the region.
Local 10 meteorologist John Gerard warned that heavy storms were expected throughout South Florida throughout the day.
“If you’re planning the rest of your morning and your afternoon, you need to know we’ve got some gusty showers and storms heading in our direction,” he said.
Gerard said the storms are tracking northeast at speeds between 30 to 40 miles per hour and could reach coastal areas within the hour.
He said that communities including Weston, Hialeah, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Doral, Kendall and downtown Miami would all be impacted before midday.
“If you’re in Weston, you’ve only got till 10:34, and then you’re gonna see these downpours with lightning and gusty winds,” he said. “Hollywood — it’ll be there at about 11 o’clock ... About 10 minutes to 11 and this one will also make it into Hollywood at about 11:12.”
Gerard added that some neighborhoods could get hit twice, with separate storm systems moving from the north and south.
As the afternoon progresses, the heaviest storms are expected to shift east into Miami-Dade and Broward counties before weakening by early evening.
Gerard said rain chances remain at 50% through mid-afternoon, with temperatures reaching the upper 80s to near 90 degrees in between downpours.
“It’s going to be kind of a stormy several hours ahead and they will kind of clear out just before sunset,” he said.
The forecast calls for drier conditions heading into Monday and Tuesday, with a slight uptick in rain chances returning later next week.
Click here for the latest weather updates from Local 10’s Weather Authority.
