South Florida Battered by Week of Strong Thunderstorms
South Florida has been hit by repeated rounds of strong thunderstorms since June 15, with the National Weather Service warning of 50 mph wind gusts, hail, landspout risk, and wildfire smoke across dozens of communities.
MIAMI, FLORIDA — Strong thunderstorms swept across South Florida multiple times between June 15 and June 19, 2026, with the National Weather Service’s Miami office issuing a series of Special Weather Statements warning of wind gusts up to 50 mph, pea-size hail, and the potential for landspouts across a broad stretch of communities from the Treasure Coast to the Everglades interior.
Storms Roll Through Broward and Palm Beach Counties
The first wave of activity struck on the afternoon of June 15, when NWS Miami meteorologists tracked a strong thunderstorm near Kings Point, close to Delray Beach, moving northeast at 10 mph at 3:34 p.m. EDT. Radar indicated wind gusts of 45 to 50 mph and pea-size hail, threatening Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Beach, Highland Beach, Ocean Ridge, Lantana, Atlantis, Mission Bay, Hamptons At Boca Raton, Village Of Golf, Whisper Walk, Kings Point, Dunes Road, Loxahatchee NWR, Hypoluxo, South Palm Beach, Gulf Stream, and Briny Breezes.
By 4:10 p.m. EDT the same day, another storm tracked over Boca Pointe and Deerfield Beach, moving east at 10 mph, with the same hazards of 45 to 50 mph gusts and pea-size hail affecting Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, Margate, Lighthouse Point, Highland Beach, Coconut Creek, Hillsboro Beach, Boca Pointe, Boca Del Mar, Hamptons At Boca Raton, Whisper Walk, Mission Bay, Gulf Stream, Fau South Campus, Hillsboro Ranches, North Pompano Beach, Boca West, and Hillsboro Pines. A nearly stationary storm sat over Pompano Beach at 4:53 p.m. EDT, threatening Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Plantation, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Tamarac, Margate, Lighthouse Point, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Lauderhill, Coconut Creek, Oakland Park, North Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, Wilton Manors, Hillsboro Beach, Sea Ranch Lakes, Lazy Lake, and Broadview-Pompano Park.
Activity continued into the early evening on June 15, with meteorologists tracking a storm near Fort Lauderdale at 4:37 p.m. EDT, moving east at 5 mph, and another over Hollywood at 5:35 p.m. EDT, moving northeast at 10 mph. That Hollywood storm threatened Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miramar, Hallandale, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Dania Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, West Park, Ravenswood Estates, Estates Of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades, Ojus, Pembroke Park, Golden Beach, Fort Lauderdale Beach, and Ives Estates. A separate storm was tracked over Pahokee at 5:14 p.m. EDT, affecting Belle Glade, Pahokee, Canal Point, and Fremd Village-Padgett Island. A later storm near the intersection of I-75 and U.S. 27, about 7 miles northwest of Sunrise, moved southeast at 10 mph at 6:11 p.m. EDT, bringing a threat of 45 to 50 mph gusts and pea-size hail to Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, Margate, Lauderhill, Weston, Coconut Creek, North Lauderdale, Parkland, Broadview-Pompano Park, Sawgrass Mills Mall, Godfrey Road, Markham Park, and Ramblewood East.
Landspout Threat and Smoke Hazard Emerge June 16 and 17
On June 16, NWS Miami issued statements warning of landspout potential in addition to damaging wind gusts. At 5:18 p.m. EDT, a storm near Mission Bay, about 9 miles north of Coral Springs, moved northeast at 15 mph, threatening Delray Beach, Parkland, Loxahatchee NWR, Mission Bay, Whisper Walk, Kings Point, Hamptons At Boca Raton, Dunes Road, Morikami Park, Villages Of Oriole, South County Regional Park, and Boca Raton Equestrian with gusts of 45 to 50 mph and pea-size hail.
At 6:25 p.m. EDT on June 16, NWS meteorologists tracked a storm capable of producing a landspout near Godfrey Road and Margate, moving northeast at 15 mph. Locations under threat included Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Margate, Lighthouse Point, Coconut Creek, Parkland, Hillsboro Beach, Mission Bay, Boca Pointe, Boca Del Mar, Hamptons At Boca Raton, Whisper Walk, Godfrey Road, Fau South Campus, Boca West, Hillsboro Pines, Hillsboro Ranches, and North Pompano Beach. A second landspout-capable storm was tracked at 7:00 p.m. EDT over Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, moving northeast at 15 mph and threatening Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, Margate, Lauderhill, Weston, Coconut Creek, Oakland Park, North Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, Broadview-Pompano Park, Sawgrass Mills Mall, Palm Aire, Village Park, Markham Park, and Ramblewood East.
On June 17, a separate hazard emerged when NWS Miami warned that smoke from the Quarry 2 and Well wildfires was reducing visibility across the area. According to the statement issued at 11:59 a.m. EDT, Krome Avenue from US-41/8th Street to US-27 was closed at the time. NWS advised vulnerable populations to use caution while outdoors and directed the public to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website for air quality alerts.
Thunderstorm activity resumed on June 17, with storms tracked along a line extending from 8 miles northwest of Lion Country Safari Park to 9 miles east of Belle Glade to near Holey Land Wildlife Refuge at 6:17 p.m. EDT, moving east at 5 mph. Affected communities included Palm Beach Gardens, Belle Glade, Okeelanta, North County Airport, Lion Country Safari Park, The Acreage, Loxahatchee Groves, and Loxahatchee NWR. A nearly stationary storm over Belle Glade followed at 7:08 p.m. EDT, with 45 to 50 mph gusts threatening Belle Glade, South Bay, Okeelanta, and Belle Glade Camp.
Most Recent Alert Targets Hendry County Communities
The most recent statement in the series, issued at 3:57 p.m. EDT on June 19, focused on Hendry County, where NWS Miami tracked a strong, nearly stationary thunderstorm near Felda, about 8 miles north of Immokalee. Radar indicated wind gusts of 45 to 50 mph. Communities in the storm’s path included Labelle, Port La Belle, Ortona, Felda, and Keri.
Across all alerts, the National Weather Service warned that gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects, and urged residents to take shelter in a sturdy building until storms passed. All weather data was radar indicated by NWS Miami.
