MIAMI – A round of showers and thunderstorms that impacted South Florida on Thursday caused some residents to spot funnel clouds hanging in the low sky over southern parts of Miami-Dade County.
These funnels can be the precursor to a tornado, but fortunately for residents in the Sunshine State, initial reports indicate that none touched the ground.
FOX Weather’s Brady Campbell was one of several witnesses who pulled out their phones and took video of the sights.
Campbell was at the airport in Homestead, Florida, and had just finished a skydive when she spotted the rope-like feature.
“We know we’re in the rainy season, and they pop up here and there. And I looked, and sure enough, we could see that funnel coming down. It was very tight or a slender funnel. It was looking as though it was trying to reach the ground,” said Campbell.
Other sightings were also reported in western parts of Miami-Dade County south of the Tamiami Trail, and hail the size of peas and nickels fell.
The scenes were much different than in April when severe storms triggered an EF-2 tornado with winds of around 130 mph in nearby Palm Beach County.
During the confirmed tornado, several apartment complexes were damaged, and cars were flipped.
May is the start of South Florida’s rainy season which can often produce hail, damaging winds, waterspouts and even tornadoes.
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On Wednesday, a sudden gust of wind known as a microburst was believed to have caused significant roof damage to a nursing home in Clewiston, Florida.
There were no reported significant injuries, but over 100 residents were evacuated to a nearby shelter.
The state’s rainy season typically lasts until September, but the FOX Forecast Center says late-season events usually produce heavy rain versus severe weather.
As the summer progresses, tropical moisture tends to saturate the atmosphere, leading to heavier rainfall and less of a chance of storms becoming severe.