miami – After a sunny start to the weekend across Florida, the Sunshine State is ending up with severe weather, with damaging winds and the threat of several tornadoes expected, especially in South Florida.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued a tornado watch for South Florida and the Florida Keys until 2:00 PM ET. The monitoring area includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers.
The storm system that brought several tornadoes to Texas on Friday and threatened flooding along the Gulf Coast on Saturday is expected to bring thunderstorms to Florida on Sunday.
However, with some strengthening of wind shear (changes in wind speed and direction with height) and sufficient moisture, conditions are ripe for some thunderstorms to become more severe.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center has placed the greater Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Florida Keys regions at a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather Sunday. Threats include isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph.
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The Level 1 severe weather threat also extends to a wide swath of the Florida peninsula, including Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers.
Heavy rain brings potential for flooding
As a low-pressure system moves through the south, heavy rain will bring more moisture to soggy areas.
Isolated flooding is possible in areas of southern Georgia, northern Florida, southwest Florida, and southern Florida on Sunday and Monday.
Bad weather delays SpaceX Ax-3 crew return
Severe weather forecast for Florida will keep SpaceX's Ax-3 crew on the International Space Station in space for several more days. The crew was scheduled to return home Saturday evening, but the return was postponed until at least Tuesday due to severe weather expected in the crew recovery area off the coast of Florida.
SpaceX could recover the Crew Dragon spacecraft and its crew from seven potential landing sites off both the Florida Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
Weather is critical to making SPACEX Crew's Dragon Splashdown safe
The forecast must meet certain weather criteria for safe landing and recovery, including wind speeds of 15 feet per second or less and wave slopes of 7 degrees or less. According to NASA landing criteria, lightning must be at least 10 miles away and the chance of precipitation must be about 25 percent.
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The threat of severe weather will end as the strongest storms push offshore Sunday evening. Another round of showers and thunderstorms is expected on Monday, followed by drier and sunny skies for the rest of the week.