As the month of August comes to a close (after Tuesday) we’ll find a noticeable difference in our south Florida weather. After a lengthy stretch with our air arriving off the Atlantic (an onshore flow) winds are changing. You’ll be able to detect the steamy origins of a southerly flow, ahead. It will also come without the beneficial breeze we had been getting. These light winds with combine with tropical moisture and that’s the “fuel” for thunderstorms. Expect more instances of storms, especially during the daytime heat. Also, with heavy rain and little wind movement, there’s a good chance for stationary activity and street flooding. The other difference we’ll notice in the days ahead will be the general timing of wet weather. When we had the onshore flow, scattered showers would mainly occur in the morning, before stronger activity formed deeper inland and west. Now, we’ll often find drier conditions in the morning, with active storms flaring up in the afternoon and evenings.
These weather changes come as high pressure breaks down across the western Atlantic. Meanwhile, a “slow but steadily sagging front” is pushing down from the north just as Caribbean moisture increases from the south. We sometimes call this the “squeeze play” as south Florida remains in the middle of these weather features. Regardless, it’s the set up for continued unsettled weather with daily storms likely. Also realize that during those quiet morning hours, our temperatures will soar in early day sunshine. That, too, will help ignite afternoon thunderstorms which could become strong. Stay tuned to Channel 7 for any potential weather alerts in the afternoon’s ahead.
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