When will South Florida see the worst of Tropical Storm Elsas rain and wind?
South Florida is forecast to see gusty winds, heavy rains and some tornadoes Tuesday as Tropical Storm Elsa moves along the states Gulf Coast. Its also a bad day to be in the water, with dangerous rip currents possible across all Atlantic beaches. The forecast is calling for an 80% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in Miami-Dade and a 70% chance in Broward, according to the National Weather Service in South Florida. The worst of the weather will come in bands through the day and the evening. Miami-Dade and Broward counties are not expected to feel tropical storm force winds, and will instead see on & off outer rain bands from Elsa that could carry isolated strong gusts and heavy rain, said WSVN meteorologist Vivian Gonzalez. Think of it like a breezy day, with winds forecast to be around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30, possibly 40 if the region gets more of Elsas outer bands, according to the weather service. Heavy rains could also cause flooding, with an elevated risk for tornadoes and flooding in the western part of the region, according to the weather service. 7/6 @ 8:30 AM - Heads up South Florida! A few tornadoes and localized flooding will be possible today in association with TS #Elsa. The threat will gradually increase through the day and persist into the evening hours. Keep up with the latest information from NWS Miami! #FLwx pic.twitter.com/gcjOXuQSR1  NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) July 6, 2021  As for the Florida Keys, expect a 70% to 90% chance of rain throughout the island chain, with the Lower and Middle Keys under a flood watch until at least 5 p.m. Tuesday. The Lower and Middle Keys are also under a tropical storm warning, which means tropical storm conditions are possible. As of 9:16 a.m., sustained winds of 35 to 47 mph across the Lower Keys have been recorded, said meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez of Miami Herald news partner CBS4. Forecasters say South Floridas bad weather will see some improvement by Tuesday night, with rain chances dropping to 30% in Miami-Dade and Broward and 40% in the Keys. Its likely that Elsas bands will still be felt through at least Wednesday in South Florida. As of the 8 a.m. National Hurricane Center advisory, Tropical Storm Elsa was about 55 miles west of Key West and 240 miles south of Tampa. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, with tropical-storm-force winds extending 70 miles from the center. Elsa is forecast to reach near-hurricane level strength in the next 24 hours and is expected to make landfall south of Cedar Key in the Waccasassa River on Wednesday morning. From there, the storms projected path takes it toward the Ocala National Forest, through Georgia and the Carolinas (where its expected to weaken to a depression) before emerging in the Atlantic near Virginia Beach late Thursday night. Elsa could leave a trail of moisture behind, which will likely influence South Floridas rain chances for the rest of the week, according to the weather service. The forecast is calling for the region to return to its typical summer pattern of rain, which means there will be a chance of rain daily, though it wont be as much as Tuesday.