Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Key West, FL

August 6, 2026Monroe County, Florida

NWS Key West, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 6, 2026, 10:59 PM EDT for Monroe County, Florida. It was in force for 18 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 6, 2026, 10:59 PM EDT (02:59 UTC)
Expired
Aug 6, 2026, 11:17 PM EDT
In force
18 min
Issued by
NWS Key West, FL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

County Monroe County, FL

The radar

The Key West radar (KBYX), 2 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:00 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Key West, FL (KNQX), launched 00:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 4 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Key West, FL at 00:00Z on 2026-08-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2886 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Key West, FL at 00:00Z on 2026-08-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2886 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
711 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

675 
WUUS52 KKEY 070259
SVRKEY
FLC087-070330-
/O.NEW.KKEY.SV.W.0002.260807T0259Z-260807T0330Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Key West FL
1059 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026

The National Weather Service in Key West has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Lower Keys in Monroe County in Florida...

* Until 1130 PM EDT.

* At 1058 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Boca Chica,
  moving west at 15 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
  Key West, Boca Chica, Big Coppitt Key, Boca Chica Channel Bridge,
  Saddlebunch Keys, Geiger Key, Sunset Key, Shark Key, Upper
  Sugarloaf Key, and Fleming Key.

This includes US 1 between mile markers 0 and 19. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service
office in Key West.

&&

LAT...LON 2452 8181 2462 8182 2467 8179 2469 8175
      2467 8153 2458 8154 2453 8171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0258Z 087DEG 15KT 2459 8168 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

DP
1 follow-up statement
164 
WWUS52 KKEY 070317
SVSKEY

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Key West FL
1117 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026

FLC087-070327-
/O.CAN.KKEY.SV.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260807T0330Z/
Lower Keys in Monroe FL-
1117 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR LOWER KEYS IN MONROE COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However, heavy rain is 
still possible with this thunderstorm.

&&

LAT...LON 2452 8181 2462 8182 2467 8179 2469 8175
      2467 8153 2458 8154 2453 8171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0312Z 087DEG 15KT 2459 8174 

$$

DP

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Key West, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 6, 10:22 PM EDT, 37 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Gentle to moderate east-southeasterlies will prevail through Friday.
  • Above-normal shower and thunder chances will continue through the end of the work week.
  • Rain chances will return to near normal by the weekend as the Atlantic ridge builds across the region.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 10:22 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Key West FL
1022 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026

...New DISCUSSION, MARINE, AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Gentle to moderate east-southeasterlies will prevail through
  Friday.

- Above-normal shower and thunder chances will continue through
  the end of the work week.

- Rain chances will return to near normal by the weekend as the
  Atlantic ridge builds across the region.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 919 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026

Moist and unstable conditions were sampled on the latest KKEY RAOB
which is evident by the recent redevelopment of scattered showers
and thunderstorms across the Lower Keys nearshore waters and
island chain. All in all, activity hasn't been as robust as
earlier today or previous nights. A few communities in the lower
chain may receive an additional one quarter to one half inch of
rainfall on top of the nearly one inch of rainfall that fell
across much of the Lower Keys this morning, and stronger storms
will be capable of wind gusts up to 30 kts. Cooler outflow has
allowed temperatures to fall to near 80 degrees at KEYW and KNQX.

A low to mid-level trough axis embedded within the large-scale
Atlantic ridge will traverse the area through Friday providing
lift for continued above-normal rain chances, and we will likely
see an uptick in activity again during the morning hours tomorrow.
In between rainfall, temperatures will easily rebound into the
upper 80s to lower 90s. Maintaining Chance to Likely PoPs in the
forecast seems like a solid call given the combination of high
1000-500mb moisture content and support from the aforementioned
shortwave trough.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 919 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue for the next few
hours across the nearshore and coastal waters with a general
decrease in activity expected after midnight. NOWcasts and
potential Marine Weather Statements will be utilized for stronger
activity producing gusty winds, rougher seas, and frequent
lightning strikes. A low-level trough will traverse the area
tomorrow which will continue to support above-normal rain chances
through the day. An Atlantic surface ridge extends west into
Florida and the northeastern Gulf driving gentle to moderate east-
southeasterly breezes which will tend to peak during the
overnight hours with this orientation forecast to persist through
the weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 919 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026
Predominantly VFR conditions are expected through this TAF period.
Will maintain a PROB30 for TSRA from 02-04Z due to activity
redeveloping over the nearshore waters south of the Lower Keys
followed by a slight lull in thunderstorm activity through the
remaining overnight hours thereafter. Amendments will be used if
needed. Moist, southeast flow and subtle low-level troughing will
support continued chances for showers/storms tomorrow morning, so
VCTS was included in the TAF beginning at 12Z.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Key West  92  83  92  83 /  60  60  40  40
Marathon  90  83  90  84 /  50  60  50  50

&&

.KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
GM...None.
&&

Public/Marine/Fire...DM
Aviation/Nowcasts....DM
Data Acquisition.....MJV

Visit us on the web at weather.gov/key

Follow us on Facebook and X at:
www.facebook.com/nwskeywest
www.x.com/nwskeywest

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 6, 10:18 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Key West FL
1018 PM EDT Thu Aug 6 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0953 PM     Marine Tstm Wind Sand Key Light          24.46N 81.88W
08/06/2026  M39 MPH          GMZ044             FL   C-Man Station

            Sand Key Light observed a marine
            thunderstorm wind gust to 39 mph or 34 knots
            out of the northeast to east at 953 pm EDT
            from storms moving west to southwest.

&&

MJV

The office that day

Everything else NWS Key West, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 6, 11:03 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningKEY27 min
Aug 6, 11:36 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningKEY24 min
Aug 7, 8:06 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningKEY24 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.