The widespread flooding has left many cars stranded across Miami-Dade County and Broward County. The aftermath of Wednesday’s heavy rainfall has resulted in road closures and has led Broward County Public Schools and Broward College to cancel classes on Thursday.

A sinkhole opened at the intersection of Northwest 186th Street and 68th Avenue, leaving two cars submerged. Officials have not yet determined what led to the sinkhole, but the rain could be a factor.

Another disaster occurred for a family in Miami when an abandoned two-story building collapsed due to unfavorable conditions, Wednesday. A family is now displaced as a result of that incident.

Miami Beach experienced gusts reaching 74 miles per hour, indicative of the intensity of the storm. Rainfall totals across South Florida are substantial, with a notable peak of 9.57 inches in Coral Gables from Tuesday morning through Thursday.

Boarded sidewalks in a Miami neighborhood proved to be a nuisance as

Cellphone video and photos from 7News viewers showed several downed trees, damaging property and blocking roads, in numerous parts of Miami-Dade. In Aventura, strong winds left their mark, shaking palm trees and breaking branches, adding to the storm’s impact.

As a result of the weather, several advisories remained in effect.

• Street Flood Advisories: In effect for most of metro Miami-Dade and Broward through 6 a.m.
• Flood Watch: In effect through 1 p.m.
• Wind Advisory: Coastal and metro Miami-Dade and Broward through 7 p.m. for gusts up to 45 mph
• Wind Advisory: Rest of Miami-Dade and Broward through 4 p.m. for gusts up to 45 mph
• Storm Warning: Coastal Waters of East Coast

In addition to the sinkhole incident, higher-than-usual rainfall, combined with King Tides, is causing high water and ponding on some Broward County roadways. Live footage from Broward Boulevard and US-1 revealed a street light hanging precariously from its post, with police directing traffic due to outages in traffic lights.

In Davie, a lake has overflowed into Paradise Village, a mobile home community off State Road 84 near Flamingo Road where neighbors are just grateful the rain stopped before it worsened.

“I can’t go in, it’s very crazy. The lake is one thing,” said Noelia Laudin, a resident who attempted to drive through the area.

Laudin needed to drop of her son at a babysitter but couldn’t due to the flooded roadway.

A fountain marks the center of a lake at the front of the neighborhood. Where the lake ends is hard to tell because, after this week’s relentless rain, it has overflowed, sinking sidewalks, streets, and cars.

“We had to pull out at least 3 or 4 cars,” said Charles Aldorasi.

Workers in the community trying their best to help people in this soggy situation, towing people’s cars from the floodwater and directing traffic. Residents said the water could recede over the next few days.

Yellow caution tape marked the flooded roadway from the bank of the lake.

Fortunately, residents said, the rains stopped before it got into people’s homes.

“Because the house is very high, it’s a little high, but inside the house no,” said Doris Tovar, a resident.

Elsewhere in Davie, the water woes continued at a baseball field at the Bamford Sports Complex, where the outer edges of the field were underwater.

A Flash Flood Warning was in effect until 6:00 a.m., with specific areas like Edgewood, Tarpon, and Galt neighborhoods experiencing 8 to 10 inches of rain over the last 48 hours.

City response crews are actively engaged, with pumps deployed and operational in vulnerable neighborhoods like Edgewood and River Oaks to reduce water levels. Riverland Road has been cleared and is currently passable, but several roads in the Victoria Park area are still experiencing high water.

Over in Hollywood Beach, cleanup crews worked to reopen businesses after heavy winds impacted the Broadwalk.

Residents are urged to report impassable roads to the City’s Customer Service Center at 954-828-8000 or email lauderserv@fortlauderdale.gov.

The recent storm’s impact extends beyond flooded streets and sinkholes, reaching into air travel and power infrastructure. The flooding prompted a record 7.53 inches of rainfall at Miami International Airport on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, nine delays and one cancellation were reported at Miami International Airport (MIA), while at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), 10 delays and two cancellations were reported. Around 1 p.m., MIA was experiencing departure delays of only 30 to 44 minutes, with no delays. At FLL there were no delays or cancellations around 1 p.m.

Though the severe weather is dwindling, travelers are advised to check with their airlines before leaving home as a good practice.

The combination of strong winds and heavy rain has not only affected air travel but also knocked out power across various neighborhoods, creating a dramatic light show in some areas. A video captured along the 2400 block of Northwest Third Street in Miami showcases the intensity of the storm.

As of 3 p.m.,32,241 customers were without power in Miami-Dade County. In Broward County, 11,870 customers were without power. Anyone experiencing a power outage should call FPL directly at 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243).

While the worst of the rain has moved offshore, lingering light rain is expected throughout the morning. Cleanup efforts are to come once the rain subsides as debris litters the roads.

As South Florida copes with the aftermath, gradual improvements in weather conditions are anticipated, but the impact of this storm remains significant.

Residents are advised to stay off flooded roads unless necessary, never drive through high water, and turn around to avoid dangerous conditions.

The heavy precipitation led the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for northern and central Miami-Dade County, followed by another for Broward County. They remain in effect until 6 a.m. on Thursday.

According to 7News meteorologists, Fort Lauderdale saw up to 7 inches of rain Tuesday and set a record with 2.75 inches measured on Wednesday. The cause? A slow-moving, non-tropical low over the Gulf of Mexico and a warm front lifting north, ushering in abundant tropical moisture.

Rounds of rain were forecast. They escalated to widespread rain and thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon into the night hours. Storms are expected to linger into Thursday morning, with gradual clearing anticipated by the afternoon.

A flood watch is in effect for Miami-Dade and Broward through Thursday morning, emphasizing the risk of flooding in low-lying areas. Additionally, a wind advisory is issued for Coastal Miami-Dade and Broward through Thursday at 1 p.m., cautioning residents about wind gusts up to 40 mph along the coast.

In Lauderdale Lakes, the wind gusts toppled over a tree and destroyed two cars.

Spiro Marchelos, the owner of Anglers Beach Cafe, even gave his employees the day off due to the unpredictable conditions.

“It’s a loss of revenue, but we have no choice,” he said. “The weather is bad, and people aren’t going to come to the beach today. It’s windy, rainy, and the streets are flooded.”

Rosie, a neighbor in the area, did not hear the tree falling on top of the cars.

Neighbors believe that the saturated soil gave way sometime overnight.

“The wind was really what I noticed to be very bad,” she said.

The soggy conditions also prompted Broward College officials to cancel classes for the rest of the day.

Travelers at local airports had to wait a little longer for their flights. Miami International Airport reported 58 delayed arrivals and departures, whereas Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport reported 74 delays. However, there have been no cancellations as of late Wednesday night.

Officials caution that Wednesday’s downpours are just a prelude to a forecast stretch of wet weather in the coming days.

“It was insane. I was driving to my business because the water was rippling inside the front door,” said Fort Lauderdale resident Bianca Pandolfo.

In Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewood neighborhood, where historic flooding occurred last April, Greg Brandenburg is bracing for the worst.

“It’s just so much rain that we’ve had this year, it’s crazy,” he said. “Now we got this rain situation coming back again. It’s just tiring.”

The only people enjoying the rough waves on the beach were the windsurfers spotted in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.

Flooding poses a significant threat, with anticipated rainfall ranging from 3 to 8 inches and isolated totals exceeding 10 inches. Authorities have strategically placed three temporary pumps in Edgewood and River Oaks to mitigate potential high water issues.

Similar precautions are underway in Hollywood, where pumps are being tested following East Hollywood’s flooding in April.

Miami is taking proactive measures, with crews actively clearing storm drains to ensure smooth water flow. Pompano Beach is following suit in their area.

As a flood watch and king tides remain in effect in Miami-Dade County, high water was seen near Northeast 79th Street.

Over in Miami Beach, city crews worked Wednesday morning to get ahead of the expected heavy rain.

“Eight temporary pumps stationed throughout the city, our teams are driving through the city right now cleaning drainage catch basins, checking the pump stations,” said Joe Gomez with Miami Beach Public Works. “We have 48 permanent storm water pump stations.”

A temporary pump was working along Eighth Street and West Avenue, while kite surfers took advantage of the strong winds and high surf.

Across the bridge in Brickell, business owners were happy to see the pumps being set up.

“So that’s really good news. We have a pump here, God forbid, but we do have a higher elevation where this location sits,” said Dominic Cavagnuolo, the owner of DC PIE CO. Brickell.

A total of 13 pumps were set up in Miami.

“Temporary pumps are in place should the waters begin to accumulate and start standing; that’s when the pumps begin to operate,” said Kenia Fallat, Miami Director of Communications.

Wet streets were also seen in Homestead.

Adding to the challenge, South Florida will contend with king tides this week.

“I’m not worried. Like I said, I have been here a while,” said Hollywood resident Pat Zizlsperger.

Back in Fort Lauderdale, officials stressed the importance of preparedness, with police officers and fire rescue crews on standby ready to help.

“It’s an unknown. Mother Nature controls us,” said Marchelos.

A high surf advisory is in effect for the east coast, warning of breaking waves reaching 6 to 10 feet.

Late Wednesday night, Broward County Public Schools officials announced the cancellation of classes at all of their public schools on Thursday, as well as the closure of all district offices. Broward College also confirmed all their campuses will remain closed on Thursday.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials, on the other hand, said classes will resume as scheduled, and all public schools will remain open.

As the forecast signals more rain ahead, residents are urged to stay vigilant and make necessary preparations.

Some passers-by who spoke with 7News at the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk on Thursday afternoon agreed this isn’t much of a beach day.

No, this is different. This is blow-me-over wind,” said Linda Stein.

Winds blew steadily at 20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 35 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

A wind advisory remains in place until 8 p.m. on Friday, and a small craft advisory is en effect until 2 a.m. on Saturday. A gale warning is also in effect until 2 a.m. on Friday.

Beachgoers in Hollywood found it difficult to become comfortable. As for the water, it’s downright dangerous..

“Extremely rough conditions caused by the heavy winds we’ve had for the last couple of days,” said Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue Lt. Wade Rickerson.

It’s a two-flag day on Fort Lauderdale Beach: red for the swimming hazard and purple to warn beachgoers that they might get stung if they go in the water.

“Today we have moon jellyfish, so it’s early for the season for the man-o’-wars to start washing in. The water is too warm,” said Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue Chief Alex Bagwell

On Miami Beach, surfers took advantage of the big waves and gusty winds.

In North Bay Village, just outside of Channel 7’s studios, Biscayne Bay was very choppy.

Back on Hollywood Beach a group of teenagers made the best of the surf.

“Oh, my gosh, when we got here, it was smacking us,” said a girl.

The Broadwalk is usually crawling with rental bikes. Not so on Thursday.

When asked how many bikes he tends to rent out in these windy conditions, a bike shop employee said, “Zero, ’cause it’s so difficult to ride out there.”

For the snowbirds who are just getting back in town, these winds are a lot better than the freezing temperatures back home.

“Still a lot better from where we’re coming from. Four degrees in Niagara Falls,” said a beachgoer.

7News cameras captured a roadway resembling a river in the area of Southwest 21st Terrace and 10th Court, between Davie and Broward boulevards, in an industrial neighborhood just west of Interstate 95, at around 4:10 p.m., Friday.

An aerial view from 7Skyforce captured several stalled cars.

Floodwaters were also seen on Friday in the Edgewood neighborhood, just north of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and south of State Road 84. This is the same neighborhood that saw some of the most extreme precipitation in the historic floods that affected the region back in April.

Robert Daniels, who works in the area, said flooding is something he deals with on a regular basis.

“All the time. Every time it rains – the other end is flooded now; they blocked it off so you can’t get through,” he said.

When ask how much of a hassle this is, driver Andy Skrimmer replied, “A big one. You’ve just got to go really slow, and you run the risk of getting grounded.”

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials believe just under three inches of rain fell in the hardest hit areas.

In addition to all the downpours in Broward, high rain totals were reported in Miami-Dade, with the highest being Opa-locka with 2.16 inches.

Authorities advise drivers to avoid going through standing water whenever possible.

“If you see flooded waters, please turn around. There’s a saying: ‘turn around, don’t drown,'” said FLFR Chief Stephen Gollan. “You have no idea where the roadway begins and where it ends, so a lot of times, cars are going off the roadway into people’s front yards, will hit objects that are not seen under the water and ultimately cause more damage to the businesses around them, as well as their own vehicle.”

“It’s just, this has got to stop, this is ridiculous,” said David Woodin, who works in the area. “People pay a lot in property taxes in here. The city wants their taxes, but they need to make it safe for us.”

The flood advisory remained in effect in Broward County until 5 p.m.

The disruption comes at a time when Miami-Dade County is grappling with persistent excessive heat warnings.

Riezel Paraiso, the director of Miami’s VA Chapter of the National Nurses United, the local nurses union, said that a malfunctioning AC unit is currently being repaired after forcing the hospital to halt all elective surgeries out of an abundance of caution.

Nurses who reported to the union said the problem began affecting a section of the 12th floor. On Wednesday, hospital officials said the problem spread to a wing on the 11th floor, forcing it to shut down. Both areas are medical surgery units.

“There’s two floors that we have our veterans in, that they had to close because there’s no AC,” said Paraiso.

Paraiso told 7News that she is outraged by the issues she and other staff are dealing with.

“It’s not fair, and it’s not just right, and it’s not the first time,” she said.

According to VA officials, one of the facility’s primary chillers went offline while workers conducted a routine cleanup, forcing the hospital to delay all elective surgeries.

“Anything that they feel can wait because it’s unsafe for the patient, they cancelled those procedures,” said Paraiso, “so that’s essentially a delay in patient care.”

Patients who had scheduled elective surgeries will have their procedures rescheduled based on their medical needs. Some surgeries have been relocated within the facility, located at 1201 NW 16th St., in order to minimize potential risks and ensure patient safety.

Nurses said this incident marked the second time that the heat caused patients to be moved around.

“This is the veterans’ hospital. It’s our federal hospital, where our patients, our veterans, they deserve so much better than this,” Paraiso said.

In the meantime, Paraiso said, portable AC units are being used as a short-term fix.

“On several units right now, there’s spot chillers, and even that, they still constantly – we still have to monitor the temperature, because we don’t know how long those spot chillers will hold up,” said Paraiso.

South Florida has been in an excessive heat warning advisory for the past six days. A heat warning is when a heat index, or “feels like” temperatures, sustains 110 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for at least two hours.

Outside of the hospital, people had to cut their runs short as the heat was deemed unbearable for the average Miamian. One woman who was walking her dog said she was exercising caution because of her pet.

Some people who live not far from the VA also dealt with AC issues.

“As much as you put the temperature that you want, the vapor from the heat of the sun that comes off the wall is so strong,” said a resident in Spanish.

7News has learned the hospital’s 11th and 12th floors will likely remain closed for five days.

A flood watch was extended for much of mainland South Florida from noon on Friday until 6 p.m., and it was allowed to expire, as weather conditions continued to improve in the late afternoon hours.

As of 5 p.m., Miami-Dade and Broward counties were mostly clear, but there was heavy precipitation over Marathon and Big Pine Key, with a light drizzle extending as far south as Naval Air Station Key West.

Fort Lauderdale set a new record on Thursday with 6.19 inches of rain, the wettest July day on record.

In Hollywood, 7News cameras captured “Caution flooded street” signs along Scott Street, which still had considerable flooding near North 14th Avenue. Drivers maneuvered around the standing water. Off to the side, a water pump was placed by the city to pump water out.

Frustrated area residents said the floodwaters were several feet deep on Thursday night.

The rainfall so far this year has now reached 65.64 inches in Fort Lauderdale. Typical rainfall in the region is 60.95 inches. The city has now received more rainfall than it typically receives in an entire year.

FLL had over 285 flight delays on Thursday. Friday afternoon, there were still 37 departure delays.

“I was supposed to leave at 2:15 and got up at 7 o’clock this morning, which is not something I ever do. I get up at noon,” said traveler Michele Goldapper. “Now it’s not leaving until 4, and I’m going to a big graduation party. My twin granddaughters’ graduated high school, so I’d really like to get there.”

Street flooding forced FLL to shut down its entrance ramp to the arrival and departure level near East Perimeter Road on Thursday.

Not far away from the ramp, 7News cameras captured first responders helping a family one by one to drier land after their SUV got stuck in the floodwaters.

Cars stalled out throughout Broward, from Fort Lauderdale to Hallandale Beach.

The flash flooding was reported from Dania Beach as far south as Miami Gardens.

Broward residents in the affected areas said they are hoping for a long-term plan, saying that this cannot continue to happen.

According to the National Weather Service, Thursday marked the wettest day in July on record as flash floods on complicated commutes for drivers, causing vehicles to stall in the floodwaters.

7News cameras and cellphone video captured stranded vehicles from Fort Lauderdale to Hallandale Beach.

Mike Noriega said his mother was caught in the soggy conditions in a Dania Beach parking lot.

“I got an instant call from my mom saying that the car just stopped and she needed help, so I just ran out of work straight over here,” he said.

Bolts of lightning and heavy rainfall made a mess, especially for those trying to head home.

Noriega said his mother was not the only one stuck in the parking lot.

“[Another driver] was in the same condition. He was down by my car and just stopped, dead-stopped, because his vehicle just stopped on him,” he said, “and so, I helped him out, and he helped me out, so luckily, it worked out in the end, and now I’m just waiting for the tow truck.”

Residents in Hollywood saw floodwaters rise high enough to reach their garage doors. It’s a mess they’ll have to tackle once the waters recede.

Thursday night, Hollywood reported nearly seven inches of rain.

A flood watch remains in effect for much of mainland South Florida until noon on Friday.

The street flooding led to frustration for many travelers heading to FLL.

“It looks like I’ve missed my flight with the floods,” said traveler Darryl Lewis Global.

The inclement weather also caused flights to be delayed. As of late Thursday night, FLL had more than 285 flight delays.

“I hope I can still take my vacation,” said traveler Staci Zavattaro.

The relentless rain came down for hours, forcing airport officials to shut down the entrance ramp to the arrival and departure level near East Perimeter Road.

Not far away from FLL, 7News cameras captured first responders helping a family to drier land, one by one, after their SUV got stuck in the floodwaters.

Among those who were stranded while heading to FLL was Global. He said his Lyft driver made the decision to pull over and avoid stalling out.

“He’d been pressing through some of the floods, and he got in a little deeper here, where you can see a lot of the cars that are – I guess they’re stopped and couldn’t go any further,” said Global, “and so, he wasn’t trying to risk it, and we’re stuck.”

“It’s kind of scary to be sitting on the plane and seeing all the lightning, you know, around us,” said Zavattaro.

Zavattaro said his flight was initially delayed, then canceled, shortening what was supposed to be a 10-day vacation in the Bahamas.

“As we were sitting on the plane, a lot of people started booking other flights and, I think once – the computers got wind of the demand, those ticket prices started going up,” she said, “so it’s just kind of the snowball effect, and now we have to find another hotel for the night, so it’s just kind of these compounding costs that none of us anticipated.”

FLL officials advised travelers to check their flight status with the airlines before heading to the airport.

As of Friday morning, there have been 37 flight delays and only four cancellations at FLL.

Police advised drivers to turn around and seek an alternate route, if possible, whenever they come across standing water that looks too deep for their vehicles.

Fort Lauderdale experienced a record-breaking rainfall of over half a foot on Thursday, contributing to a total rainfall measurement of 65.64 inches for the year, surpassing its typical annual rainfall of 60.95 inches.

Friday’s heat advisory remains in place in Miami-Dade and Broward counties until 7 p.m. An advisory for Monroe County that was in place until 6 p.m. was cancelled.

The National Weather Service confirmed Miami reached 97 degrees on Friday, shattering a 2020 record of 95 degrees.

The relentless heat was felt across South Florida, with the heat index, or “feels like” temperatures, reaching 110 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas along the east coast.

Fire rescue units are standing by ready to help.

Earlier in the day, City of Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Damian Beitra met with the crew at Fire Station No. 7, as they prepared for another hot day on the job that could include heat related calls.

Beitra said it’s important to watch for signs of heat illness.

“The first early warning signs are going to be thirst — you’re going to feel hot, you’re going to feel thirsty. Later signs are going to be cramping,” he said.

Officials said that means it’s time to move to a cooler spot as soon as possible and drink some water.

If your body stops sweating, or you feel dizzy or confused, officials said, it’s time to call 911.

“Our first plan of attack is to remove some of the clothing that they may have and start getting them into a cool environment, so we put them into the back of our rescue truck,” said Beitra.

If needed, a heat related call may end up with a trip to the emergency room.

One of the most serious signs of heatstroke is confusion.

Broward Health North confirmed they treated a woman who had taken a stroll with her grandson and was found in the afternoon confused and walking in traffic. The 64-year-old patient has since been released.

Beitra listed some steps to avoid a hospital visit.

“Stay hydrated, loose-fitting clothing, [go] indoors and crank the [air conditioner] up,” he said. “For those that have to be outdoors — we have our construction workers, we have a lot of people who work outdoors, athletes — you’ve got to stay hydrated, keep the hydration with you and get ahead of it.”

Officials also warned that leaving people or pets inside a parked vehicle without the AC running is a no-no. Even with the windows cracked, it can get dangerously hot inside the vehicle.

Heavy rain has begun moving across parts of Miami-Dade and Broward late Friday afternoon and continues to affect the region.

City of Miami Fire crews not only had to deal with the heat on Thursday. They put out a warehouse fire in the area of Northwest 13th Avenue and 21st Terrace, all while getting scorched by the ball of fire in the sky.

“We do more rotations when we’re working in excessive heat conditions like this, and in an extensive operation like you see now,” said Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll.

Battling fires is among the hottest jobs under the South Florida.

“The important part of it is what we call that rehab, reducing that body temperature down to a normal limit so that you are able to perform your task,” said Carroll.

7News cameras captured crews recovering in a tent nearby with misting fans and water.

A heat advisory is in effect through 7 p.m. Cooling showers, however, are moving across the Florida Keys, Thursday afternoon.

Heavy rainfall is also moving through parts of southern Miami-Dade County.

How high were the temperatures? Miami tied a 2020 record of 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

The hot and humid conditions can be hard to handle for locals, especially those who have to work outside, like a roofing crew that has to handle hot tar.

But it’s no breeze for tourists either.

7News spoke with three men visiting from Virginia, where it’s in the 80s.

“I’m sweating just standing,” said the first man.

“Just trying to stay cool, trying not to burn my head, you know,” said the second man.

“I was wearing jeans at one point, That was a bad idea,” said the third man.

People posed in front of South Beach Clock Tower along Ocean Drive. The thermometer read 95 degrees, but the “feels like” temperatures in South Florida ranged from 105 to 113 degrees.

“Here now, it’s very, very, very hot,” said a woman.

“It’s certainly, with rising temperatures, these are the times of the year when we’re seeing increases in heat-related illness,” said Dr. Jason Mansour, medical director at Broward Health Medical Center’s Emergency Department.

The City of Miami provided some tips on how to beat the heat, which include the following:

• search for air conditioning
• drink plenty of water
• avoid heavy work outside
• wear light clothing
• make sure you check on family members and neighbors
• never leave pets or people in a vehicle
• watch for signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke
• know when it’s time to call 911

Signs of heatstroke include an extremely high body temperature, red, hot and dry skin with no sweat, a rapid strong pulse and dizziness, confusion or unconsciousness.

“When you’re recognizing that you’re overheating, and you get that sort of lightheaded, flushed type of feeling, removing yourself, letting yourself cool down, letting yourself hydrate is imperative,” said Mansour. “Anyone who has an altered mental status definitely needs to come to the emergency department. You recognize them as being confused, they’re not acting like themselves; those are signs of neurological damage from the heat. Those patients need to come in immediately.”

This time of year, it’s not just hot, it is dangerously hot, and just like firefighters have a plan to deal with the heat, residents and visitors should as well.

Crews were able to power through the heat and extinguish the warehouse fire in less than an hour.

As the sun came up Wednesday, so did the temperatures.

“I think, just over time, you get used to it a little bit, but it’s pretty tough right now,” said Danny Tweedel, a runner.

“It definitely has felt hotter than the last couple of days,” said Alexander, another runner.

A heat index is known as the “feels like” temperature, a combination of temperatures and humidity levels. The higher the humidity, the warmer the temperatures.

Temperatures in Miami-Dade and Broward continued to hover in the low 90s on Wednesday afternoon, but it feels like 105 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

Whether you’re a tourist out on the beach or a local on the job outdoors, medical experts advise it’s important that everyone takes the time to cool off as the temperatures rise in South Florida.

“Our body is used to operating within a certain temperature range,” said Dr. Hany Atallah, Chief Medical Officer at Jackson Memorial Hospital. “I think, when it really gets dangerous, the body isn’t able to really regulate and keep itself within that temperature range.”

Some people chose to lean into that heat and sweat it out.

“The heat is very mild compared to the humidity,” Tweedel said.

“Definitely, like, for running, you have to avoid after the main morning hours because it’s really hard to be outside,” said Alexandra, a runner.

The heat was no match for a group of boxers exercising outdoors in Miami, Wednesday afternoon.

“Let’s go. We’re killing it,” said one of the boxers.

“The heat makes you stronger. In the extreme conditions, it makes you stronger,” said another boxer.

Close to where the boxers were working out, several men were throwing hoops.

“It’s humid, hot,” said one of the basketball players.

“If my body starts to feel a little, like, drowsy or dizzy, I’ll stop,” said another player.

Others, however, have decided to sit back and relax.

A.C.’s Icees in Miami is a popular spot to cool off.

“I’d like the $7 piña colada, please,” said Miami resident Ruth Dagnan.

“Florida’s finest refreshments, deliciously refreshing,” said A.C.’s Icees server Thomas Harrington.

Among those ordering a cool and refreshing drink was Michelle Persike, who is visiting from Wisconsin.

“Right now there’s a breeze, so it’s not as bad as it was earlier today,” she said.

As they sipped their drinks, the tourists visiting from up north said it was hard not to notice the heat’s intensity.

“We’re not really used to this type of heat. It gets warm in Wisconsin, but not like this,” said one of the visitors.

“My customers are saying, ‘We got a hot one today,'” said Harrington.

Restaurants in South Beach catered to diners with large fans turned on high.

“Brutal, but fun,” said a passerby.

“It’s like a sauna,” said a diner.

“We’re going to enjoy the beach and drink margaritas,” said another diner.

A margarita might feel refreshing in the moment. but consuming alcohol during these intense temperatures can be dangerous.

“When you’re drinking excessive alcohol, you’re going to use the restroom more often,” said Atallah. “On top of that, you’re outside, you’re sweating more, so you’re losing a lot of fluid very quickly.”

If you’re going to be outside, why not be by the water?

“Right now, I’m going to take some water to refresh,” said Leonardo.

And at construction sites, crews need to work outside to keep their projects moving.

But shade and frequent breaks are advised, especially for those working outdoors

“Continuously drink water and [take] a lot of breaks if you have to work outdoors, so that way, you can cool down and go back outside,” said Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez.

Sanchez advises people to pay attention to their body. For example, if people start feeling weak, have a headache or feel dehydrated, there’s a problem.

“When there is the extreme heat, you can have an increase of heat exhaustion calls, heatstroke calls, so it’s important to know the signs,” he said. “The heat exhaustion signs, some are weakness and headaches, dehydration, and then you can go into heatstroke, which can be fatal as well.”

Sanchez said that these temperatures can be dangerous, especially for children and pets.

He urges parents and pet owners to try and limit their time outside, as they are the most vulnerable.

So whether you’re working or playing, heat exhaustion can come on quickly and escalate.

Atallah said smart thinking and prevention are the key to being cool and safe on days like this.

If you see someone experiencing heat exhaustion symptoms, place a cold compress on them and get them out of the heat as soon as possible. If they continue to have symptoms, call 911.

Pet owners are also urged to keep their pets on the grass, cut evening walks short and bring extra water.

Local residents said the heat is not going to go away anytime soon.

“Here we are in June, and this isn’t even the worst part yet,” said Dagnan.

The heat advisory will remain in effect for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties until 7 p.m. on Friday. It is also in effect for a portion of the west coast of Florida, including Naples.

Just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, The National Weather Service confirmed a thunderstorm produced a short-lived EF-0 tornado near Southwest 196th Street and 147th Avenue, at around 1:20 p.m.

Meteorologists said the tornado packed wind speeds of up to 80 mph as it traveled south along Southwest 147th Avenue until just north of 200th Street.

“Maybe a mile away from us, I’ve seen the tornado when it was hitting. I decided to make a left turn just to avoid the tornado cause it was coming toward me,” said a man. “But you know, we saw it, Thank God nothing happened.”

The intense winds knocked a tractor-trailer on its side, injuring the driver, according to the truck company. He has been taken to an area hospital in stable condition.

Multiple 7News viewers sent in video of the funnel cloud.

Witness Julio Ramirez described what he saw while on the road.

“Suddenly, I saw the tornado coming down, approximately about maybe a mile away from us,” he said. “I saw the tornado when it was hitting, and I decided to make a left turn just to avoid the tornado coming toward me. Thank God nothing happened. I just walked away from it.”

Video showed the funnel cloud from Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport as a small plane flew in the distance.

At South Dade Kia of Miami, mechanics dealt with car trouble and rain leaking in from the roof, according to a 7News viewer.

Strong wind gusts were reported across Miami-Dade, including 56 mph in West Kendall, 45 mph in Miami and 37 mph in Opa-Locka.

Cellphone video showed hail coming down in a Miami Gardens neighborhood.

Broward County has not been immune to the inclement weather. Wind gusts of 49 mph were reported in Pembroke Pines, where a resident sent in a picture of a downed tree.

It has been a soggy Thursday afternoon across the region, with 3.47 inches of rain reported in West Kendall, 2.86 in the Hammocks, 1.99 in Cutler Bay. North of the county line, 2.67 inches were reported in Plantation and 1.69 in Hollywood.

NWS officials issued a flood advisory across a wide swath of Broward, extending from Sunrise to Dania Beach and parts of Pembroke Pines, but it has since been allowed to expire.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday night issued a rare flash flood emergency for parts of Broward County until at least 2 a.m. on Thursday. They advised area residents against going outside, as the rapidly rising floodwaters can create dangerous situations.

NWS also issued a fourth tornado warning across a wide swath of Broward until 10:15 p.m. It has been allowed to expire.

The severe conditions that began early Wednesday afternoon also led to three prior tornado warnings in Broward County.

The same area that was under a tornado warning that extended from Fort Lauderdale to just south of Dania Beach, remained under a severe thunderstorm warning. Gusty winds from around 45 to 60 mph had been reported in this area.

In Dania Beach, the street flooding led Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies to close off Stirling Road between Federal Highway and Southwest Fourth Avenue, Wednesday afternoon. 7News cameras captured standing water on Stirling Road, just west of Federal Highway during a downpour, as stalled-out vehicles left several drivers stranded.

Street flooding was also an issue along a portion of Stirling Road in Cooper City, as well as in a neighborhood along the 2300 block of Island Drive in Miramar.

In Fort Lauderdale, police officers were forced to shut down the section along Southwest 17th Street between Andrews Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

The flooding also caused slowdowns on Interstate 95 northbound, from the Golden Glades Interchange until at least the juncture to Interstate 595, where eastbound traffic slowed down to a crawl and drivers reported low visibility.

Sunrise got soaked as well. The rainfall caused flooding in parts of Sawgrass Mills Mall and its parking deck, as well as in a neighborhood near Northwest 117th Lane and West Oakland Park Boulevard.

It was a similar situation in Hollywood near North 46th Avenue and Andrews Street, as well as on Arthur Street near Diplomat Parkway. Down the street on Diplomat, waves of floodwater lapped against big homes near Atlantic Shores Boulevard.

Cellphone video sent in from a 7News viewer captured flooding near the arrivals section of FLL.

What started as a temporary ground closure turned into a full closure of the airport and the roads around it until further notice. It happened at around 5:40 p.m.

FLL officials asked people not to come to the airport or to leave.

Cellphone video captured good Samaritans pulling an elderly man from his stalled out SUV outside the airport. Moments later, they were seen struggling to make their way through waist-deep water.

Video also showed water cascading onto the northbound Federal Highway entrance to FLL, paralyzing incoming traffic.

A picture showed the airport’s flooded tarmac.

The soggy conditions startled arriving travelers.

“Everybody’s phones are just blaring off. I’m from Ireland; I’ve never seen a tornado before, and I’ve never experienced anything like it,” said a traveler. “That’s why everybody’s panicking, and everybody was positively afraid that the plane would blow away.”

Off the plane, it wasn’t any better. The relentless rain flooded lower levels of a parking garage, and the flooding on surrounding roadways and on airport property led to hours-long gridlock, trapping drivers in their cars.

7News cameras captured bumper-to-bumper traffic as motorists were stuck waiting to leave the airport.

“There were no public announcements, so that’s the thing that’s frustrating,” said a driver. “We would have just stayed in the terminal if we had known.”

Driver Mark Barber was trying to get to a friend’s mother at her flooded home.

“Everywhere was flooded out, every which way. I had to go down [State Road] 84, so I thought I could just swing by the airport, but I’m stuck here,” he said.

Lightning activity and torrential downpours were reported throughout the day in parts of Miami-Dade, including Coral Gables, South Miami and Westchester.

A street flood advisory was issued for a wide swath of Miami-Dade County, including downtown Miami and Miami International Airport, until 7:45 p.m.

In North Miami, a bicyclist in a yellow raincoat navigated through a flooded sidewalk near Sans Souci Boulevard.

7News cameras captured a flooded parking lot and green space at Florida International University’s North Campus in North Miami off Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 151st Street. The campus remains open.

North of FIU North in Aventura, cameras chowed standing water on the intersection of Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 191st Street.

Driver Yelena Saleck said she suddenly found herself dealing with a stalled-out car.

“I don’t know; this is the only car I have to get to work,” she said. “There’s nowhere to go, everywhere is water. Everything’s flooded.”

“We don’t need cars to get around here in South Florida with all this rain, we need boats,” said a woman. “Hopefully it will stop soon.”

The National Weather Service on Wednesday evening extended a flood watch along the coastal areas, from Deerfield Beach all the way south to Cutler Bay, until Thursday at 8 p.m.

Anyone whose car has been left overnight may want to call Westway Towing at 954-731-1115 to see if they have your car.

The rainfall began to peter out by Thursday afternoon but not before it dumped inches of rain across the county.

Between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m, radar estimates included 5.5 inches in Sunrise Harbor, 3 inches in Key Biscayne, 3.2 inches in Coral Gables, 3.2 inches in Miami and 3.9 inches in South Miami.

Near Miami International Airport, 3.28 inches of rain were reported, a new record.

7Skyforce hovered above heavy flooding along U.S. 1 near Southwest 32nd Street in Miami. Standing water covered two northbound lanes near a McDonald’s restaurant, as drivers continued heading north on the left lane.

Further south, U.S. 1 is closed southbound near Bird Road. The floodwaters caused multiple vehicles in this area to stall out, as bumper-to-bumper southbound traffic stretched north to Interstate 95.

Among the drivers who found themselves stranded was Mike Zogby, whose SUV stalled out about a mile from his home.

“I thought I had a big enough truck,” he said. “There was a car stuck in the right, and I went through the center lane and tried to get to the left, and I got stuck, and then a third gentleman got stuck in a BMW, and he got stuck for several hours.”

Some downpours battered areas in the southern part of the county, like Cutler Bay and Homestead in the late afternoon hours. Another batch of rain pushed into Key Biscayne.

The heavy precipitation triggered multiple flood advisories, which were cancelled by 6 p.m.

Thursday evening, public works crews used pumps in an effort to drain knee-deep standing water along U.S. 1.

Hours later, some moisture began to drift inland across parts of Broward County at about 10 to 15 mph, while a swath of shower activity moved across MIA, from Liberty City to Virginia Gardens and West Miami.

Earlier in the day, a waterspout was spotted near Fisher Island, at around 10:30 a.m.

Back on U.S. 1, the floodwaters have receded, and the roadway reopened to traffic at around 9:30 p.m.

As for Zogby, his stalled SUV was eventually pulled from the floodwaters and towed away.

7News cameras captured standing water off Biscayne Boulevard near the exit ramp from the MacArthur Causeway, just after 10 p.m., Wednesday.

City of Miami Police officers were seen blocking part of the flooded roadway to prevent drivers from becoming stuck.

A car was seen stalled out near Northeast 11th Terrace and Biscayne.

Drivers were seen turning around in an attempt to take Northeast Second Avenue as an alternate route.

Two flood advisories remained in place in Miami-Dade Wednesday night: one near Miami International Airport until 11:15 p.m. and another for Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay until 11:45 p.m.

A flood advisory remained in place for Central Broward until 10:45 p.m.

The heaviest precipitation was recorded near MIA with 1.84 inches and Lauderdale Lakes with 1.80 inches.

Most of the heavy rain has since moved off shore and was heading to the Northwestern Bahamas, late Wednesday night.

A street flood advisory issued on Thursday afternoon for parts of Miami-Dade was allowed to expire, but the precipitation left standing water on major roadways in Miami.

Just before 4:15 p.m., 7News cameras captured significant flooding along Biscayne Boulevard, near 17th Street.

“All right, this is pretty flooded around here,” said an area resident.

Drivers with their hazard lights were seen navigating the flooded roadway. Others were seen turning around rather than drive through it.

Extensive flooding was also reported in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.

Cellphone video sent in to 7News captured the driver of a Porsche traveling on a sidewalk along Brickell Avenue in order to avoid the floodwaters.

Video also showed flooded sidewalks near 15th Street and Lenox Avenue in Miami Beach.

Thursday afternoon, 7Skyforce hovered above a stalled sedan and SUV in Miami.

In Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, cellphone video showed an overflowing storm drain in front of The Watermarc at Biscayne Bay apartment complex on North Bayshore Drive.

“We need to do something with the city for the pipes and the seaweed and everything, because that worries me,” said a passerby. “We have the kings right now, for the ocean, for the tides, but we need something better.”

7News also captured standing water in the area of Northeast 141st Street and Third Court.

Near Northwest Sixth Street and 124th Street, drivers took a chance and navigated through the flooded road.

The floodwaters have since receded on Biscayne Boulevard and 17th Street, but not before several stalled vehicles were towed away.

Miami Police tweeted that high water vehicles were helping stranded motorists.

“Pretty much, people’s cars, they get … hydrolocked. The engines get locked because of the water going into the engine intake manifold, and then it locks the engine to the vehicles, so they’re stranded,” said tow truck driver Mike Perez with The One Auto Solution. “You can’t move them unless you have a tow truck.”

Perez said that when it rains like this in downtown Miami, he is not surprised drivers have issues.

“Especially in this area, where all these buildings are going up. It used to not flow like this. Now with all the buildings going up, now it’s flooding bad,” he said, “especially with the tides. If the tides are high, it gets flooded.”

Thursday evening, a section of Biscayne Boulevard underneath State Road 395 was shut down in both directions. It reopened at around 9 p.m.

Perez said that in the span of just two hours, drivers with The One Auto Solution towed away 20 vehicles away from flooded roadways.

There was also extensive flooding in parts of Broward County.

7Skyforce flew above a flooded home on Dania Beach, where a 7News viewer said the ground was so saturated that it uprooted a tree, causing it to land on top of his neighbor’s home.

Cellphone video also showed heavy flooding on Oakland Park Boulevard and Bayview Drive in Fort Lauderdale.

Thursday evening, heavy rainfall continued to move from the Gulf of Mexico across the Florida Keys, particularly in the Lower Keys.

Meteorologists forecast the rain to linger in the region through at least Thursday night. More storms moved across Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties through 10 p.m.

If Ian tracks close to Southwest Florida near Ft. Myers, Tropical Storm conditions could spread into inland areas of Broward and Miami-Dade. Therefore, a Tropical Storm Watch was issue for Broward, Miami-Dade & the Upper Florida Keys.

Tropical Storm Watch recap: Broward and Miami-Dade, including the Upper Florida Keys are under a Tropical Storm Watch.

The Tropical Storm Watch that was in effect for the Middle Florida Keys was upgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning. This afternoon Tropical Storm conditions with wind over 39 mph expected along with heavy rainfall.

Also, Tropical Storm Warning in effect for the Middle to Lower Florida Keys.

There is the potential for the center of Hurricane Ian to track closer to southwest Florida, which could bring the potential for tropical-storm-force winds to inland Miami-Dade and Broward forecasts. Across the metro, we aren’t expected sustained, 39+ mph winds but gusts could reach 30-40+ mph.

In addition to the wind, flooding from heavy rainfall will be possible today into tomorrow. The Weather Prediction Center has placed South Florida in a level 3 of 4 risk for flash flooding today.

Lastly, isolated tornadoes will be possible and 2-4 feet of storm surge across the Florida Keys.

Vivian Gonzalez

Meteorologist, AMS Certified

WSVN Channel 7

Models continue to show a large spread after 72 hours showing that the exact track is still uncertain and would change the potential impacts throughout the state, including South Florida can experience with Ian close by. That is why the cone of concern remains pretty wide towards the end of the forecast period.

A track closer to the East coast would mean landfall happens sooner and more impacts expected across South Florida due to the fact that we will be on the wettest side.

A track more to the West would mean that landfall would happen later and there would be a prolonged event of heavy rain, wind and flooding for Florida and around vulnerable areas like Tampa. However, it seems like the more Eastward track is becoming more likely. In fact, the surge around Tampa could be significant between 5 to 8 feet and they have not been directly impacted by a storm since 1921.

The Florida Keys from the 7 mile bridge to Key West, including the Dry Tortugas under a Tropical Storm Warning and now the West coast from Englewood to Clearwater, including Tampa Bay under a Hurricane Watch.

A Tropical Storm Watch is also now in effect for the middle Keys.

King Tides are returning this week, so water levels will be running higher than normal. Unfortunately with Ian forecast to be a major storm just to our West, strong winds blowing onshore during times of high tide could cause flooding. Storm Surge Watch in effect for the Florida Keys from Card Sound Bridge Westward to Key West and the Dry Tortugas. There is also one in effect from Card Sound Bridge to Anclote River and Tampa Bay.

About 2 to 4 ft Storm Surge possible for the Florida Keys.

The probability continues to grow that tropical storm-force winds 39+ mph will be experienced in the Lower to Middle Florida Keys.

Rain and flooding will be our biggest worry here in South Florida and a more Eastward track would imply these totals going up. For now, about 3 to 8 inches of rain possible.

Other possible impacts for South Florida will be gusty winds between 30-40+ mph as some of the occasional outer bands move in and out. Also, the outer bands could spin up an isolated tornado.

Stay tuned to your Storm Station for the latest!

Vivian Gonzalez

Meteorologist, AMS Certified

WSVN Channel 7

On the forecast track, Tropical Depression Nine became Tropical Storm Ian as of the National Weather Center’s 11 p.m. advisory on Fryday. It will move toward the West-Northwest over the next day or so. Eventually, it is forecast to turn to the northwest this weekend.

It is expected to approach Jamaica and the Cayman Islands as an intensifying tropical storm. Watches and warnings for those locations will be required. This system will then approach Western Cuba and enter into the Gulf of Mexico by the end of the forecast period, which is Tuesday afternoon. Therefore, Cuba and everyone along the Eastern Gulf Coast of the United States should watch this system closely.

Computer models are in better agreement that this system will be a Florida event.

High pressure initially will steer it West-Northwest and eventually a dip in the jet stream will help lift the system Northward. That turn to the North will determine the impacts that Florida will experience.

Right now, we should continue to monitor the forecast. Based on models runs, showers start to move in on Monday with heavy rainfall and wind possible between late Tuesday into Wednesday. More details on the extent and location of impacts will be known as we move through the weekend. This is the time to check your hurricane preparedness plans just in case.

Make sure to stay tuned to your Storm Station for the latest!

Vivian Gonzalez

Meteorologist, AMS Certified

WSVN Channel 7

We will focus on the wave set to move into the Caribbean. It has a very high chance for development.

This wave has a 90% chance it could become a depression or a storm inside the red area over a period of 5 days. There is a lot of uncertainty regarding its future track.

The spaghetti models show a system heading into the middle of the Caribbean Sea thru the weekend, but by the start of next week they fan out. When they do this, it’s because they don’t have a good handle on the wave. That is to be expected since nothing has developed yet. Everyone from the Ycatan Peninsula thru Florida should keep an eye on the wave.

Two Scenarios

Scenario one

If the wave travels on the south side of the proposed development area, it may interact with land and keep the wave from organizing, weak, or delay its organization

Scenario Two

If the wave tracks on the Northern side of the proposed development zone, then it will have plenty of warm water to grow strong and possibly do it faster. We’ll keep you updated

On the forecast track, the system could move near or over portions of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola this weekend and early next week, bringing heavy rainfall and some wind impacts to these areas.

Tropical Storm Watches could be issued for some islands later today and they should closely monitor the progress of the depression.

For now, it is too early to tell whether this system will impact the United States, so make sure to watch your Storm Station for the latest.

Vivian Gonzalez

Meteorologist, AMS Certified

WSVN Channel 7

Two days before Andrew slammed into Southern Miami-Dade County, people along 443 miles of Florida’s East Coast were warned to be ready for the monster storm.

7News, 1992: “As we take a look at the hurricane watch, it does extend from the Dry Tortugas to Titusville.”

A huge area but, back then, scientists didn’t have the tools to better predict where Andrew would hit.

Dr. Jack Bevin, Senior Storm Specialist, National Hurricane Center: “In 1992, we were only making three-day forecasts.”

Check this out, back in 1992, this was the predicted three-day track for a hurricane.

It’s a large area, and scientists could only say the storm would hit somewhere in here.

If they would have used the cone of concern, it would have looked something like this.

Now, compare that to today, this little circle represents where the cone would be focused three days out from a storm making landfall.

This tighter cone is the result of new technology that gives forecasters a better understanding of how hurricanes work.

Here’s another example of how far forecasting has come.

This is the track scientists can currently study when a storm is three days away from landfall, and this is technology they had when Andrew was one day away from landfall in 1992, which means we now know days earlier where a storm is going to hit.

And that means people are now getting earlier and better warnings so they can prepare.

Dr. Jack Bevin: “Now we are issuing watches 48 hours in advance and warnings 36 hours in advance as compared to back in 1992.”

Dr. Jack Bevin is now a senior storm specialist for the NHC.

He was just an intern during Andrew.

Dr. Jack Bevin: “I was getting my Ph.D. at Florida State and doing intern work at the Hurricane Center.”

He has been on the front lines to see all of the changes, which have led to better and more accurate forecasts today.

Dr. Jack Bevin: “We got these new fancier dropsondes in, start throwing them out into the strongest part of the hurricane eyewall and made some very interesting discoveries about how the hurricane worked.”

But when Andrew hit, scientists could only measure wind speed at 10,000 feet above ground.

Now ,the dropsondes allow them to check wind speed in the actual eye of the storm.

Hurricane Hunter Pineda: “This is the transmitter right here that sends all the data back to the aircraft.”

Another big advancement: weather satellites that can take pictures above a hurricane every 30 seconds.

Dr. Jack Bevin: “You put it all together, we have improved our capabilities a lot, of monitoring the storm, tracking the storm and forecasting the storm.”

The Hurricane Center is now actively working on seven day forecasts. We don’t know yet when those will start being issued.

Tuesday has become a soaking wet day as heavy rainfall and storms covered South Florida.

Many drivers had to dodge the rain while driving, from the 836 at Northwest Seventh Avenue to Interstate 95 at Northwest 151 Street.

The excessive rainfall caused flooding and at times the rain was so heavy the Miami skyline was no longer in view.

In Broward County, grey clouds blanketed the sky at times in Fort Lauderdale.

Rain showers and storms are expected to continue throughout the day, with an additional one to three inches of rain before the skies clear up later in the week.

If you do come across flooding in the street it is advised you turn around.

At around 5 p.m., 7News cameras captured calf-deep standing water along Southwest 196th Street, near 79th Court, outside the Saga Bay neighborhood. The floodwaters extend about 50 yards.

The driver of a pickup truck was seen hugging the curb in an attempt to avoid the deeper standing water.

Officials advise drivers to turn around if possible when encountering flooded roads.

Area residents said this corner floods easily and remains an ongoing concern for them.

A resident said he rented a U-Haul truck because he was unable to get in and out of his driveway.

But thanks to a water pump installed near Saga Bay Lake, the flooding has mostly dissipated in the rest of the neighborhood.

Rainfall continued to fall in parts of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, late Friday afternoon.

Most of Broward and Palm Beach counties remained dry, with the exception of a system of thunderstorms across Parkland, Coral Springs and Boca Raton.

A flood watch currently for most of Broward and Miami-Dade has been extended until Saturday at midnight.

Meteorologists said the rainy weather is expected to linger for at least another day. Saharan dust is expected to move into the region on Sunday, lowering the rain chances.

Strong downpours battered portions of Broward County, Wednesday afternoon. Most of that precipitation has since moved to northern Miami-Dade County.

In Sunrise, the inclement weather caused a tree to come down along Oakland Park Boulevard, near Northwest 119th Terrace, sometime before 5 p.m.

The tree blocked a part of Oakland Park Boulevard. Crews spent well over an hour working to remove branches and foliage from the roadway.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

At nearby Sawgrass Mills Mall, 7News cameras captured standing water and stalled out cars in a parking lot.

Some drivers found themselves trapped because they couldn’t see some of the ditches concealed by the floodwaters.

Tow truck drivers are working to remove the vehicles.

Meanwhile, a cluster of thunderstorms stretching from Miami Beach west to Krome Avenue is moving slowly and dropping a lot of rain in the area.

Just before 6 p.m., traffic cameras captured bumper-to-bumper traffic in the pouring rain along State Road 826.

A street flood advisory remains in effect for a portion of Miami-Dade County, from the county line south to Kendale Lakes, until 8:30 p.m.

Back in Sunrise, the sun has come out, and traffic is moving freely along Oakland Park Boulevard.

The relentless rains gave shoppers more than they bargained for at Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise.

Late Friday afternoon, 7News cameras captured a stalled SUV in a partially flooded parking lot at the shopping center.

Not far from the SUV, a driver sat in a dark colored sedan that was also unable to move.

“It looked like an entrance, and I just got stuck, so we’re waiting for the tow truck,” the driver said.

Floodwaters were so high that several drivers hit a curb they couldn’t see and were left lopsided.

A tow truck driver eventually arrived at the parking lot and got to work.

“So far, this is the third one, but it will be a long night,” he said. “This happened about [three] and a half years ago, 2018, I think.”

From the second floor of a parking garage, shopper Pamela D’Amelio recorded cellphone video of drivers struggling to make their way through the roadway that circles the mall.

“I cannot. Look at this. This- oh, my God,” she said in the video

At the time, D’Amelio said she was waiting for the water to subside. She drove to the second floor of the garage after she saw flooding on the first floor.

“I was afraid of what the first level looked like, because water was coming up through the pipes,” she said.

While the heaviest rainfall took place in Broward County, Friday evening, most of the thunderstorms south of the county line stayed off shore.

But the flood of trouble also caused headaches in Miami-Dade.

Dark clouds hovered above downtown Miami as afternoon showers dampened rush hour commutes.

Hours earlier, cellphone video captured drivers making their way through a flooded road, also in downtown Miami.

“Oh, my gosh,” a woman is heard saying in the video.

7News cameras captured flooding along Biscayne Boulevard, near Northeast 13th Street, near Interstate 395.

Nearby construction complicated the already soggy traffic conditions.

City of Miami Fire Rescue officials said the storms caused part of the roof of a laundromat along the 4700 block of West Flagler Street and Seventh Avenue to collapse just before 4 a.m.

“As soon as I opened the door, the whole water started coming out,” said business owner Elicer Gallardo. “I don’t know how long it will be before we open again, but it’s closed.”

The other businesses in the strip mall where the laundromat is located also remained closed on Friday.

“Because we don’t know the integrity of the rest of the roof, we’ve cordoned off this entire section of the strip mall to not allow anybody in until structural inspectors can come out and deem the building,” said Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll.

Down in Palmetto Bay, a tree came crashing down, crushing Michael Zebold’s pickup truck, trailer and other tree trimming equipment.

“I’m just in shock. Unfortunately, this morning is when I’ve seen everything, the damage that occurred,” said Zebold.

The rainfall abated in the late morning but intermittent showers resumed in the afternoon in Broward and Northeastern Miami-Dade, prompting a slew of weather advisories.

Strong thunderstorms developed from the coast at around 3:30 p.m. and headed as far west as Doral and Hialeah. A waterspout was spotted off shore but quickly dissipated.

In Biscayne Bay, abandoned boats were shoved onto rocks just off the 79th Street Causeway.

In Broward, thunderstorms lingered west of Interstate 95 in Pembroke Pines, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Sunrise and other parts of the county.

The heaviest rainfall was reported in North Lauderdale with just over four inches and Margate with just under four inches.

Back at Sawgrass Mills, floodwaters in the parking lot where the SUV stalled out have continued to recede.

7News cameras captured travelers standing in line at a Miami International Airport terminal, late Friday night, as hundreds of passengers attempt to figure out when their next flight is going to be.

As of Saturday morning, Miami International Airport has reported 22 canceled arrivals and 10 canceled departures. 

Meanwhile, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has reported 18 delayed arrivals and 17 canceled arrivals. 

Street flood advisories were issued for parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, Friday afternoon.

Friday evening, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for a portion of Southwest Florida east of Naples.

Officials advise travelers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

Friday’s soggy weather brought as much as 2.3 inches of rain to Deerfield Beach, 2.05 inches at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, and 2.1 inches to North Miami and North Miami Beach.

Street flood advisories have been issued for throughout the day.

The rainfall died down in the early afternoon but began to pick back up at around 4 p.m.

Friday afternoon, a batch of rain was falling in the same area of downtown Miami and Wynwood that saw extensive flooding on Thursday, causing several vehicles to stall out once again along Biscayne Boulevard, near 17th Street.

“It sucks, it really sucks. I’m going home,” said a passer-by. “It’s my day off, and I wanted to do some shopping, and we were around the Design District, and honestly, we were going from store to store.”

“I had a car accident just because it has been raining so much,” said a driver.

The driver said the inclement conditions caused her car to be sideswiped as she was heading to work, leaving her vehicle scraped and scuffed up.

“It [happened] in a matter of seconds. I didn’t know what to do,” she said, “and in that moment, of course, I called 911.”

7News cameras captured some ponding along Midtown Boulevard, near Northeast 29th Street.

Cameras also showed pedestrians attempting to escape the copious rainfall near Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Video sent in by a 7News viewer captured street flooding near Northeast Sixth Court in Miami.

Meanwhile, 7SkyForce HD captured dark clouds covering parts of the area.

However, compared to Thursday, this area was not nearly as wet as it was nearly 24 hours prior.

While some who spoke to 7News said the rain ruined their plans, others said it’s just another typical South Florida day.

“You just get used to it. You’ve got to know that it’s going to rain — maybe 10 minutes, maybe two hours — and then you’ve just got to move on,” said a passer-by.

Moderate rainfall is also affecting parts of Southeastern Broward County.

Moderate to heavy precipitation is expected to move across the Upper and Middle Keys late Friday afternoon and Friday evening.

7News cameras captured vehicles moving slowly across a flooded Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni area, Thursday evening.

Rush hour traffic along this busy stretch of Biscayne turned into gush hour traffic.

While several cars were seen driving through, others stalled out on the street.

“Hey, it happens,” said one of the unfortunate drivers.

7News cameras captured motorists pushing their vehicles near the Checkers on Biscayne, near 17th Street.

Simona Williams was worried she would not be able to get home from work across from the Omni.

“It just don’t make no sense. Like, look at it,” she said.

The usual commute came with terrible tows.

Cameras captured tow trucks removing one stalled car after another from Biscayne Boulevard.

Stranded drivers had stories to share.

Maria Casado said she and her son Wyatt had just visited the Frost Museum, but on their way home, their car gave out.

“The water got very scary, and we saw a bunch of cars on the side of the road, so I decided to turn off, and that’s when the car stopped,” she said.

Mother and son waited for a ride home from her husband.

“Dad is on the way!” said Wyatt.

South of the Omni area, the flooding was just as serious.

Miami Heat fans struggled to reach the FTX Arena to watch their hometown team take on the Washington Wizards.

Over in Wynwood, employees at Mr. Kream crammed what they could under the door to keep their ice cream shop dry.

A flash flood warning was issued for the area until 7:30 p.m.

In Miami Beach, floodwaters also left parts of Collins Avenue looking more like a river, Thursday night.

It was a sight that unsettled visitors like Tom Rudka, who came to South Florida from the Netherlands.

“That’s definitely not something I expected in the Sunshine State, but you take what you get,” he said.

Drivers were forced to wade through the water consuming the edges of the street near Collins and 37th Street.

Pedestrians looking to use the sidewalk on this stretch of road were forced to find another way. Others just took off their shoes and went barefoot through inches of water.

“The drains aren’t very good,” said a passer-by.

It was a similar situation at 10th Street and Meridian Avenue.

Umbrellas may have kept some people’s hair dry, but there was no way around getting their feet wet.

“It was really windy, really rainy,” said Breanna, who is visiting from Rhode Island. “Everybody was like frantic, like they’ve never been in a bad rainstorm before.”

While the rain moved through in a couple of hours, it took a long time for the waters to recede.

Now visitors are hoping for a much-needed change before heading home.

“I’m trying to manifest nice weather, though, because I’m on vacation,” said Breanna.

Cleanup efforts were underway by some businesses, early Friday morning.

Drain cleanup efforts were seen by crew members along the MacArthur Causeway as well.

And it looks like the rain is not going away anytime soon. Meteorologists forecast more soggy weather as a front makes its way through South Florida on Friday.

Heavy rains overnight and on Friday morning brought flooded streets and slick roads to both Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Flooding could be seen in areas like downtown Miami, Cutler Bay, Little Havana, Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale.

“It’s very frustrating. I come out my house, and it’s disgusting,” said Cutler Bay resident Mike Fiallo. “Every time it rains, it gets flooded. If it’s a trash day, trash cans go floating, and it’s disgusting.”

Between the rain, saturated ground and the king tides, sewer drains can’t keep up.

Miami resident Alexandra Zeno said flooding is a constant problem in her neighborhood, near 10th Avenue and 79th Street.

“I woke up around 7, I believe so, and it was already flooded,” she said. “Every time it rains a little bit, it gets this way.”

Further south, in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, residents at a building off Northeast 32nd Street reported that the flooding on the ground floor caused the building to shut down all the elevators for hours.

John Angelas said his friend lives on the 31st floor of the building.

“He had to come down 31 floors to walk the dog and run some errands. A bit of a mission,” Angelas said.

Maintenance crews had to hook up hoses to push the water out.

The elevators have since been repaired and are now operational.

Many cars could be seen driving slowly in an attempt to safely make it through the floodwaters.

“I mean, I can barely get through there. I can’t imagine these smaller cars trying to get through there,” said mail carrier Christian Roig.

Viewer video showed cars stalled in downtown Miami, and 7News cameras captured drivers in the same predicament in Hollywood. Some of the vehicles had to be towed away.

Cameras also captured captured a soggy mess in Fort Lauderdale’s Victoria Park neighborhood.

An area resident said the flooding is a major inconvenience.

“I can’t even get a cup of coffee. It’s ridiculous,” he said. “We always get tired of this. It happens every year.”

But the water in some areas receded eventually. In Victoria Park neighborhood, ankle-deep floodwaters had turned into shallow puddles by late Friday night.

But the relief was only temporary in some parts, as the soggy weather continues to plague the area.

City officials said, in some Cutler Bay neighborhoods, floodwaters will be drained out. However, in some of the older neighborhoods, $11 million will be used over the next year and a half to add drainage to help prevent future flooding.

A cool front is approaching South Florida. If it does not weaken, it’s set to push in plenty of moisture across South Florida. Some model runs suggest early morning rain with the continued chances thru Saturday morning.

What to Expect

Many things can happen with this front. The cool air mass is traveling over the Warm Gulf of Mexico and that is making it lose some of its cooling punch. After the possibility of heavy rain on Friday, the cooler air should arrive by Saturday night / Sunday morning. Typical lows this time of year range between 70 and 74, the models suggest lows dropping into the low 60s with some over zealous models even calling for some upper 50s in the Western Suburbs. That may not happen as the Gulf of Mexico is heating the air with the front. Stay tuned to Meteorologist Erika Delgado Friday to bring you the latest status report on the strength of the front.

The rainfall was steady across Broward County all of Friday morning, making for a treacherous drive on Interstate 595 and Andrews Avenue.

Bands of heavy precipitation moved north throughout the day.

In Fort Lauderdale, the flooding turned a parking lot into a lake at Southport Raw Bar off 17th Street. Motorists were forced to carefully drive onto Cordova Road.

Even when the rain has stopped, it can be a hazard for cars, because drivers are often unable to see what they’re drivIng into.

Police officers are asking drivers to be wary of these conditions to drive carefully and avoid flooded intersections if possible. Driving through them is sometimes not advisable.

7News cameras captured cars stuck in the middle of Northeast Sixth Avenue and Prospect Road in Oakland Park.

Even a large truck was just tall enough to make it through.

Among those whose vehicle stalled was Juan Mejia.

“For two and a half hours I sat with my two dogs in the back, waiting for the water to come down,” he said.

“It floods so much that it’s impossible, that once you realize you’re in the middle, there’s no putting your car in reverse,” he said.

Mejia’s BMW sedan got stuck right in the middle of Northeast Sixth Avenue.

Driver David Bogenschutz said it was difficult to see just how deep the standing water was in Fort Lauderdale’s Victoria Park neighborhood just before his Mercedes-Benz got stuck.

“There wasn’t heavy water at the end of it when I pulled in. All of a sudden, it just went completely [lower] three or four feet,” he said. “I can’t even open the door, I’m afraid to.”

There was also heavy rain in parts of Miami-Dade County that left behind flooded intersections in the Allapattah neighborhood.

The traffic was backed up in major Miami-Dade roadways as early as Friday afternoon, making for a wet and messy commute.

Cameras captured a motorcyclist struggling to get by on a Miami Beach road, Friday evening.

In Broward County, the heaviest rainfall later moved off shore, and floodwaters have since receded.

In Oakland Park, the intersection of Northeast Sixth Avenue and Prospect Road was completely clear by 4 p.m., but calf-deep floodwaters lingered at the intersection of Northeast 11th Avenue and 48th Street for a couple of hours.

Mejia had to wait a long time for a tow truck. Even after floodwaters receded, his BMW still wouldn’t start.

Residents in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties continued to see pockets of moderate to heavy rainfall, gusty winds and lightning. A section of Miami-Dade, including Key Biscayne, was under a street flood advisory until 7:45 p.m. Another street flood advisory was issued further south in Miami-Dade, including Homestead, until 6 p.m.

There is also the potential for more rain during the weekend. Moisture that is expected to move into South Florida is forecast to be trapped by a front on Saturday and Sunday, increasing the chances for rainfall on both days.

Finally a small little dose of Fall like conditions expected through midweek… But by Thursday, the humidity climbs along with a better chance of seeing showers once again.

Sam is now a hurricane and will continue to rapidly intensify. On the forecast track, high pressure will steer Sam West during the next 24 hours. After that, high pressure starts to break down and slide slowly away to the East. This will allow Sam to slow down its forward speed and move West-Northwest around the periphery of high pressure. By Wednesday, it should be well to the East of the Leeward Islands.

If the models are right, hopefully Sam will not bother anyone. However, Bermuda and the continental United States should keep an eye on it.

Have a wonderful weekend South Florida and make it a safe one!

Vivian Gonzalez

Meteorologist, AMS Certified

WSVN Channel 7

A front is approaching South Florida which may stall by Friday. If it does, it will keep us soggy thru the weekend. Models hint at the front finally clearing the area by Monday. Not expecting a temperature change, but the humidity may come down for Tuesday. It will feel like Fall, Florida style.

Keep that umbrella handy.

The rainy season comes to an end Mid October, but South Florida is stuck in a soggy pattern. The forecast calls for Hot & Sunny mornings with afternoon storms developing inland and then moving into the Metro.

Important Dates

Looking Head, here are some important dates that are just around the corner.

Oh my! On Thursday, Ft. Lauderdale came within 1 degree of tying the record for the date set back 100 years ago! The above average temps will continue through the weekend.

The next few days should be drier across South Florida.

Friday & Saturday promise to be a bit drier. Enjoy because by next week, big downpours will return as some tropical moisture invades South Florida once again.

King Tides are back. Expect higher than normal high tides over the next week or so. This will lead to coastal street flooding.

And we’ve arrived at the peak of hurricane season. Experts say the second half may be as active or even more active than the first. Stay aware.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area of disturbed weather in the Gulf of Mexico. They are giving it a 50% chance for organization over the orange area over the next 5 days.

Even if it doesn’t develop, it is forecast to drop plenty of rain across Florida’s Big Bend. This will lead to flooding concerns there. We should see only scattered downpours.

Our rain chances should be on the low end of what is typical for the season. However, with light winds, any storm that develops may stay over an area and could lead to standing water on roadways.

Dry air will try to move in from the North, but a plume of moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico may stay in place through Monday. This means you can expect a downpour to pop up at any time. It will not be a washout of a weekend but those who do get rain, it will be heavy. The storms will be slow movers so wherever they set up, it could lead to street flooding.

For much of next week we should return to a more summer-like pattern with more sun, heat, and humidity w some afternoon cooling showers.

The National Weather Service on Thursday issued a flash flood warning that expired at 5:45 p.m., as well as two flood advisories, one along the coast that expired at 6 p.m. and another in Southern Miami-Dade that expired at 6:15 p.m.

It was a washout in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, as drivers carefully navigated the drenched streets.

In downtown Miami, the downpours wreaked havoc for drivers along Biscayne Boulevard and 14th Street, near the entrance ramp to the MacArthur Causeway, partly complicated by a nearby construction site for crews working on the Dolphin Expressway.

The floodwaters even caused part of the dirt from the construction site to spill into the bay.

7SkyForce hovered above the roadway as a tow truck arrived to remove a stalled car, as drivers were forced to slowly navigate through the flooded roadway.

South Florida visitor Jamie Leblanc was one of many motorists stuck in the rain near Biscayne Boulevard and 11th Street. He said he didn’t expect his vacation to end like this.

“A huge wave just came and hit the front of my car, and my car just stalled out right there in the puddle,” he said.

In Brickell, floodwaters covered the corner of 10th Street and South Miami Avenue. They have since receded.

Brickell resident Mel Segoda said the flooding caused quite a mess in his neighborhood.

“Look at me. I’ve got to wear sandals to get out of here, and especially with a dog, it’s impossible, you know?” he said. “I’ve got to walk around [the flooded area], and it gets messy, a lot of people walking around at the same time, just craziness.”

Nearby building management put up sandbags outside entrances in case floodwaters got too high.

7News cameras captured a first responder, as he helped the driver of a stalled two-door car remove it from the middle of a flooded street.

In Allapattah, the downpour was so strong that it significantly decreased visibility for drivers.

Pedestrians in raincoats and umbrellas were seen trying to get out of the rain in Miami Shores.

Fort Lauderdale residents also saw rounds of relentless rain.

A swath of inclement weather moved east across Miami-Dade, Thursday night.

The city of Miami set a record on Wednesday for high temperature. It broke the record of 95° set back in 2006. On Tuesday, it came within one degree of tying the all time high for the date.

More Heat

The Summer Sizzle remains on Thursday as highs will run a few degrees above average. The temps will also be running warmer thru the middle of next week. Every day there will be a chance for afternoon downpours for a brief cooldown.

On Sunday you will be witness to a blue moon. Not really a blue moon, but a somewhat rare full moon.

Here goes: Typically we get 12 full moons a year, 3 per season, but this year summer gets a fourth. The folklore says the third full moon is known as the Blue moon, and that’s what will see Sunday. Mother Nature should cooperate with mostly clear skies. Enjoy

On Tuesday, parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties received several inches of rain because of the thunderstorms. The Turnpike at Northwest 37th Avenue recorded 4 inches of rain, and the intersection of Interstate 75 and Interstate 595 recorded 3.6 inches of rain.

• RELATED: Latest Weather Forecast

Meanwhile, ground operations at MIA have returned to normal after the passing storms left hundreds stuck in baggage claim. Airport officials said 64 flights were delayed and two were cancelled.

“It’s frustrating waiting three hours,” Becky Trombly said.

Hundreds of people could be seen on cellphone video waiting in the baggage claim area. Airport officials said lightning in the area shut down ground operations for two hours, and they do their best to work around dangerous weather.

“No offering of water, no offering of anything,” another traveler said. “People are down there with babies. People are down there that are escorting minors that are in tears because they don’t know how the next person they’re supposed to escort can be escorted.”

The severe weather caused flight cancellations and diversions.

“We had to pick up a client from Los Angeles,” chauffeur Jon Sahn said. “That flight was delayed there, got here. They had him circle for an hour, and they diverted him to Tampa.”

Some travelers also missed their connecting flight home due to the storms.

“Flights were departing from here at 8:10, 9:33, 7:40, and they’re telling us they can’t get luggage off a plane,” a woman said. “We landed at 5, and now, their connection was cancelled. Her connection is delayed. This is my ending stop.”

Elsewhere, a trampoline was tossed into the side of a home in Pembroke Pines, and the patio furniture was moved and toppled, as well.

A family member captured photographs of the trampoline resting up against the home as rain continued to pour.

Wednesday afternoon, more people showed up to MIA to claim their luggage and board their flights.

Mitchell Mahanand has been trying to travel from Maryland to Guiana. He said his layover at the airport has been long and frustrating, as he continues to wait for his luggage.

“It was preposterous and unacceptable, I gotta say,” he said. “We waited for about 10 hours or so last night trying to get our bags, requested it multiple times, and these beautiful people were absolutely not helpful at all.”

Mahanand said, at this point, he is not sure his luggage made it to the airport in the first place and was told the search for his belongings could take some time.

“They got to go through all of them, and it could take 10, 12, 40 hours,” he said.

Typical summertime weather will be present both Saturday & Sunday. Highs will be at average levels as well as the rain chances. All due to high pressure sitting over Florida.

Over the next 48 hours, high pressure will build across South Florida. This will return our average summer-time pattern of sun. heat, humidity, and afternoon showers.

The end of the week looks identical to Thursday with chance for some scattered storms. and highs in the upper 80s.

Average rain chances for the summer range from 30% – 60%. We will be in that range thru next week.

In the Tropics: We are following three waves. The ones in the Atlantic are being impacted by Saharan Dust. The one that brought us all the rain on Tuesday, is now across Mexico. NHC is keeping an eye an an area of low pressure in the Northern Atlantic. It has a minimal chance for development.

]]> https://wsvn.com/news/local/downpours-across-south-florida-cause-flooding-in-miami-beach-fort-lauderdale/ Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:55:30 +0000 https://wsvn.com/?p=953927 The week got off to a soggy start in South Florida as heavy downpours led to flooded roadways and parking lots.

Monday’s precipitation moved north across Miami-Dade and Broward counties throughout the morning and early afternoon but has since moved into Palm Beach County.

Floodwaters have started to recede in Miami Beach, but cellphone video captured a flooded condo parking lot earlier in the day.

At 5 p.m. 7News cameras captured the flooded entrance to a parking garage at a Hampton Inn in Miami Beach.

Hours earlier, cameras showed little visibility in North Bay Village as storm bands rolled in and whipped palm trees.

Traffic cameras captured lightning and gloomy skies above Interstate 95 in Northwest Miami-Dade.

In Fort Lauderdale, drivers attempted to navigate wet roads as the rain left pedestrians soaked. Large puddles were later seen in parts of downtown.

Meteorologists said an area of low pressure in the mid to upper atmosphere, as well as a tropical wave making its way across the Caribbean Sea, caused the inclement weather.

In Miami-Dade, nearly six inches of rain were reported in Surfside, and over four inches were reported in Miami Shores and North Bay Village.

Flood advisories issued in Broward have expired. However, meteotologists said the area of low pressure and wave are expected to push more moisture into South Florida on Monday night.

A batch of rainfall coming off Andros Island could bring downpours to the Upper Florida Keys, Monday night.

The rainy weather is expected to linger Tuesday and Wednesday, with chances of rain at 80% and 70% respectively. Saharan dust expected to move into the area will likely result in drier weather on Thursday.

While severe storms passed through South Florida on Tuesday, people recorded a funnel cloud forming just off shore at around 5:20 p.m.

The strong storms prompted a severe thunderstorm warning to be issued, which has since expired.

Remember, if you see news happening and can do so safely, take a picture or shoot video and send it to: senditto7@wsvn.com.

Tropical moisture gets pushed in from the East by High pressure. A front out of the north traps it over the area. The result is a good chance for pockets of rain. This will be the scenario for South Florida possibly though the weekend.

In the Tropics

While there are a handful of tropical waves in the Atlantic Basin, NHC is only watching two areas for possible organization. The first wave is just off the West Coast of Africa with a 30% chance for development and the second is near the Lesser Antilles. This one has a very low 10% chance for growth.

High pressure in the Western Atlantic will push moisture into Cuba, NW Bahamas, & Florida. It will get trapped by a front across North Florida and stay over the region for a few days, This pool of moisture will eventually make it into the Atlantic but it may take time.

Typical rain chances for this time of year run between 30%-40%, we will be soggy with probabilities as high as 80% by Thursday and staying high through the weekend.

Tropics

NHC is monitoring a weak wave. Chances for developing have come down from a high of 30% Monday evening to 10% by Tuesday night.

We kicked off the weekend with clouds across portions of South Florida. As we give way to more breaks of sun later this afternoon, you may notice hazy or ‘milky’ looking skies due to Saharan Dust over the area. This will help keep us dry for today.

Today, expect mainly dry conditions with clouds around and high humidity. Father’s Day becomes wetter as moisture from Claudette makes it to SoFlo. As the system moves away, Monday will be drier with just a typical chance of rain and steamy temps.

Although today remains mainly dry, expect some showers for Father’s Day (unfortunately).

After this weekend, more typical summer-like chances return to South Florida before becoming wetter midweek as a front nears the Southeastern states.

Temperatures will be in the 90’s across the board, with feels like temps near 100 degrees due to high humidity.

Sunday is also the first day of Summer, which officially begins at 11:32 p.m. and marks the summer solstice. We will receive almost 14 hours of sunlight, making it the longest day of the year!

When it comes the tropics, Tropical Storm Claudette formed as of the 5 a.m. advisory as it was moving into Louisiana. Heavy rainfall and gusty winds continue to impact portions of the Southeast. Claudette will not bring any direct impacts to South Florida.

Although Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect across costal areas, a Flash Flood Watch extends much further inland as heavy rain moves in.

Have a great day, South Florida!

This should keep South Florida mostly dry. In the SE, Potential Storm 3, will soak the region with rain moving into the Panhandle.

On Sunday as the low spins into Georgia, some of its feeder bands could producer some downpours across our area. Not set in stone as that is dependent on the system. If it speeds up or slows down it could mean the difference between some rain and none at all.

Hot weekend in store with highs in the low 90s and some downpours possible on Sunday.

Inches of floodwater could be seen near the intersection of Northeast Sixth Avenue and Prospect Road, Tuesday afternoon.

A Mercedes-Benz seen near the intersection was seen stalled due to the floodwater. Another driver said floodwater went into the interior of his car, and he called family members to help him get the car out of the standing water.

“I’m going to visit a friend in here and I got stuck right in here,” said Jerry Moradi, whose car stalled out.

A flash flood warning has been issued for most of northern Miami-Dade County until 6 p.m. That area has been soaked with 2 to 4 inches of rainfall.

Drivers are asked to drive carefully and avoid driving through flooded roads to prevent their cars from stalling out.