It’s Severe Weather Awareness Week across the state of Florida. Each day this week, Spectrum News will bring you tips you need, in order to face the impacts Florida may bring this spring and summer.
On Wednesday, we’ll focus in on severe thunderstorms and the threats they bring, including strong winds, hail and tornadoes.
Severe weather is a common occurrence in Florida, especially when our wet season kicks in during late spring and summer months.
In order to keep yourself safe from the risks, we’ll discuss how we forecast the threat of severe storms across the Central Florida region.
First and foremost, you need to familiarize yourself with three terms: outlook, watch and warning. These terms are key to understanding your risk of severe weather, no matter where you are across the state.
An outlook is used to provide a heads up that severe storms could be in the forecast on that given date. While outlooks are issued the day of a severe weather event, they can be issued as far as eight days in advance.
Outlooks provide the potential and probability of severe storms within a given area. You’ll want to check back frequently as outlooks change, sometimes two or three times a day.
Even though they can come in a variety of ways, outlooks rank the risk of severe weather from low to high on a scale of 1 to 5. Here’s what each outlook level means:
A watch is a term seen most likely on a day where severe weather could develop. When you hear a Severe Thunderstorm Watch or a Tornado Watch has been issued for your area, it indicates that atmospheric conditions are favorable for the development of each, respectively.
Once a watch is issued, severe weather will likely develop within the coming hours. So, take heed if one is issued- they are there to alert you to be ready to take action later on in the day.
Finally, a warning is a term that associated when severe weather is occurring. Unlike a watch, which warns you of the potential of severe storms and/or tornadoes within the coming hours, a warning indicates that severe weather has developed and is happening currently.
Warnings are issued to alert those in the way of a dangerous storm to take action to protect life and property. They can come in several fashions, including Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, Flash Flood Warnings and Tornado Warnings.
The easiest way to describe the differences between watches and warnings is by comparing them to tacos.
Think of it this way – you’re about to make tacos for dinner. You have all the ingredients, but you haven’t assembled a taco yet. This would be your watch phase. You have everything you need to make a taco, you just haven’t made it yet.
The warning phase will occur once you assemble all your ingredients together and actually make your taco.
In Central Florida, our severe weather events are largely due to late-day sea breezes during the spring and summer. As boundaries collide, storms can become strong, creating gusty winds, small hail and even brief tornadoes.
But what makes a thunderstorm severe and how you can prepare before one develops?
If any storm is producing one of those three criteria, it becomes a severe thunderstorm and will get a warning.
If a storm is near that criteria, but doesn’t meet it, a special weather statement may be issued. The purpose for this is to alert the public that an approaching storm nearby could strengthen to severe limits.
If a Severe Thunderstorm Warning is ever issued for your area, follow these tips to keep you and your family safe:
If a storm is producing a tornado, or Doppler radar indicates that a tornadic storm is possible in the near term, a Tornado Warning will be issued. In the case you’re under a Tornado Warning, here are some tips to follow:
Tornadoes are ranked on a scale from EF-0 to EF-5, with EF-5 being the most damaging. Although tornadoes are typically not confirmed and rated until a day or two after the event takes place.
With that, it is important to treat every Tornado Warning seriously. Here’s the tornado scale with a bit more detail:
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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