Hail in Florida, April 25, 2003

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
922 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003

LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTH INTO CENTRAL
ZONES...BUT APPEARS TO BE RUNNING OUT OF GAS.  OUTFLOW HAS MOVED
OUT WELL SOUTH OF STORMS WITH NEW CONVECTION DEVELOPING BEHIND IT.
STORMS OVER INTERIOR COUNTIES CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST SOUTHEAST
WHILE CONVECTION ALONG AND OFF COAST MOVING BACK TO NORTHEAST.  SO
IT WOULD APPEAR THAT STORMS WILL NOT MAKE IT MUCH FURTHER SOUTH
DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  STORMS HAVE PRODUCED SOME LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH RADAR ESTIMATES OVER 3 INCHES IN A FEW SPOTS.
TAMPA INTERNATIONAL HAS ALREADY SET A NEW RECORD DAILY RAINFALL FOR
TODAY WITH OVER 1.51 INCHES AS OF 9 PM...OLD RECORD WAS 1.23 INCHES
SET IN 1991...AND MORE RAIN STILL TO COME.

LATEST RUC INDICATES CURRENT VORT MAX MOVING ACROSS FLORIDA THIS
EVENING MOVING EAST OUT INTO ATLANTIC OVERNIGHT WHILE ANOTHER ONE
APPROACHES AND MOVES ACROSS THE PENINSULA LATE TONIGHT.  MORE
CONVECTION STILL OUT OVER GULF MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AND WITH NEXT
SLIGHTLY WEAKER VORT MAX MOVING EAST LATER TONIGHT...WILL LEAVE
CHANCE POPS IN FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ZONES OVERNIGHT.  WILL LEAVE
SLIGHT CHANCE DOWN SOUTH AS NEXT VORT MAX MAY HELP TO PUSH ACTIVITY A
LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH LATE TONIGHT.  WILL ALSO NOT UPDATE ZONES UNTIL
ABOUT 11 PM AND WATCH RADAR TRENDS FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.

WINDS OVER COASTAL WATERS FROM ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THANKS TO
STORMS...BUT SHOULD SETTLE DOWN AND COME BACK AROUND TO THE SOUTH
OVER ENTIRE AREA LATER TONIGHT.  WILL DROP SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE
CAUTION AND MAKE SOME OTHER MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO MARINE FORECAST FOR
EVENING UPDATE.

.TBW...NONE.

PRC

FLZ039-042-043-048-049-252130-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1130 AM EDT FRI APR 25 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

A STRONG TO SEVERE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE AND THE FAR NORTHERN GULF WILL APPROACH THE NATURE COAST
THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SOME THIS
AFTERNOON...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE. THE
STRONGEST STORMS WILL CONTAIN FREQUENT TO EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING AND
GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH.

WHEN SKIES DARKEN...MOVE INDOORS. IF THERE IS TIME...UNPLUG
APPLIANCES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. WAIT UNTIL THE STORM ENDS BEFORE
USING THE TELEPHONE OR RUNNING WATER.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY:

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS AFTERNOON IF THE
THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INCREASES.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW

FLZ039-042-043-048-049-252300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
651 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM EDT FOR THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

HERNANDO...CITRUS...LEVY...SUMTER AND PASCO.

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BROOKSVILLE...CHIEFLAND...INVERNESS...NEW
PORT RICHEY...SPRING HILL AND ZEPHYRHILLS.

DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY
WINDS WERE STILL POSSIBLE FROM THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY IN PASCO
COUNTY...UNTIL 730 PM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
UPDATES.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE)

BSG

FLZ049-252330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
703 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN PASCO COUNTY...
A THUNDERSTORM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH...WILL AFFECT
ODESSA...LAND O LAKES AND WESLEY CHAPEL...UNTIL 730 PM EDT. GUSTY
WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS
EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM
TALL OBJECTS. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER IS EXPECTED.
TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.
MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL.

GOLDSMITH

FLZ050-051-260000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
717 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE TAMPA BAY METRO AREA...
A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH...WILL AFFECT
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PINELLAS COUNTY BEFORE 8 PM...AND TAMPA AND THE
NORTHERN SUBURBS BETWEEN 745 AND 830 PM. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH
WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF
CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS.
TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.
MOTORISTS MAY WANT TO DELAY TRAVEL.

GOLDSMITH

FLZ050>052-260045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
810 PM EDT FRI APR 25 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO
AFFECT TAMPA AND THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN SUBURBS...

THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH...WILL MOVE OUT OF TAMPA
BY 815 PM BUT CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE EAST BAY
COMMUNITIES...INCLUDING RIVERVIEW...APOLLO BEACH...AND
GIBSONTON...THROUGH 845 PM.  STRONG STORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT WESTERN
POLK COUNTY...INCLUDING LAKELAND...MULBERRY...AND BARTOW.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT
OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. THIS
STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL. RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES
PER HOUR WILL OCCUR. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON
ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

GOLDSMITH