A line of showers and strong to severe thunderstorms continue to move eastward across North Florida Friday with the potential to spin up tornadoes, forecasters said.
“Damaging to destructive winds, isolated tornadoes, and large hail will be the main threats,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee predicted. Heavy rainfall could also become a concern if redevelopment and training of storms occurs behind this complex of storms this afternoon.”
In the west Panhandle, winds up to 70 mph are expected along with hail “up to golf ball size,” the National Weather Service in Alabama said. “A tornado or two cannot be ruled out but confidence is low in the tornado potential.”
Parts of the Panhandle Bay, Walton and Washington counties were under a tornado warning Friday morning until 5:15 a.m. A line of severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Chattahoochee to 14 miles northwest of Stonemill Creek to 9 miles southwest of Panama City, moving east at 70 mph, the NWS said. “Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.”
Jackson, Gulf, Bay and Calhoun counties in the Panhandle and Wakulla, Gadsden, Liberty, Taylor, Jefferson, Leon, Franklin and Madison counties in the Big Bend are under a severe thunderstorm warning until 7:45 a.m. EDT.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 11 a.m. EDT for Bay, Calhoun, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties and until noon EDT for Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee and Union.
“On Friday, the remainder of the front will move off most of the Atlantic Coast, while parts of the boundary will linger over Florida on Saturday,” National Weather Service forecaster Paul Ziegenfelder said Thursday. The storms are not expected to be nearly as powerful or dangerous as the severe weather that ripped through Tennessee Wednesday that was responsible for the deaths of at least two people.
Local forecasts predict thunderstorms and showers passing over North Florida Friday, bringing up to an inch of rain.
However, AccuWeather warns that airports in major metro areas from Washington, D.C. down to Birmingham, Alabama may experience lengthy delays and possible flight cancellations for people traveling ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday.
Severe thunderstorms expected in North Florida
Weather alerts issued in Florida
Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network-Florida