Deep moisture and light flow produced early morning showers and thunderstorms along the Tampa Bay coast. A lightning strike from one of these storms ignited a fire in a condominium building.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
Deep moisture and light flow produced early morning showers and thunderstorms along the Tampa Bay coast. A lightning strike from one of these storms ignited a fire in a condominium building. Thunderstorms later in the afternoon produced a brief lived tornado.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 22, 4:15 AM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 515 AM EDT MON JUN 22 2015 .SHORT TERM (TODAY-TUESDAY)... WEAK MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH FORMER TD BILL APPEARS TO BE HELPING TO POP A FEW SHOWERS OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL FLORIDA EARLY THIS MORNING WITH A LINE OF CONVECTION ALONG AND JUST OFF THE PINELLAS AND MANATEE COUNTY COAST AS WELL. THIS CONVECTION SHOULD WIND DOWN OVER LAND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS AND COULD LAST A LITTLE LONGER NEAR THE COAST AND JUST OFFSHORE. FOR THE REST OF TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE WEAK MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OFF TO THE EAST AND DISSIPATE WITH THE MID-LEVEL RIDGING...AS WELL AS THE EAST TO WEST ORIENTED SUBTROPICAL SURFACE RIDGE ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA FORECAST TO DRIFT NORTH SOME. THIS SHOULD ALLOW THE STEERING FLOW TO BECOME MORE EASTERLY WITH TIME...SO WHILE ISOLATED EARLY AFTERNOON STORMS DEVELOP ALONG THE EASTWARD MOVING SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY NEAR THE COAST...EXPECT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS CONVECTION TO MOVE BACK TOWARD THE COAST LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BEST COVERAGE SHOULD BE AROUND THE INTERSTATE 75 CORRIDOR AND ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR TO A COUPLE OF DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH DAYTIME HIGHS MOSTLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 90S...EXCEPT ALONG THE COAST WHERE THE SEA BREEZE WILL KEEP READINGS IN THE UPPER 80S. ONCE AGAIN THE COMBINATION OF THE HEAT WITH DEW POINTS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S WILL LEAD TO MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 100 AND 105 BOTH TODAY AND TUESDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE MOSTLY IN THE 70S. .MID/LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT-SUNDAY)... UPPER LEVEL RIDGING DOMINATES THE GULF REGION UNTIL FRI AS A SERIES OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS TRACK ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND OVER THE GREAT LAKES...WITH THE LAST ONE DEEPENING INTO A LONG WAVE TROUGH THAT REACHES DOWN TO THE GULF COAST FOR THE WEEKEND. IN RESPONSE THE UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN AND SHIFT SOUTHWARD. AT THE SURFACE...ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE BROADLY RIDGES ACROSS FL TO THE GULF...WITH AN AXIS INITIALLY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL FL THAT SAGS DOWN INTO SOUTH FL FOR THE WEEKEND. SOUTHEASTERLY BECOMING SOUTHWESTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW AND ENHANCED BY AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES...AS THE SURFACE RIDGE DROPS SOUTH... ALONG WITH INCREASING WEST AND SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...AS THE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES THE GULF...WILL PROVIDE PWAT VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1.6 INCHES. THIS WILL BE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED BUT OCCASIONALLY NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE GREATEST COVERAGE IS EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOONS AND INLAND. TEMPERATURES WILL RUN ON THE WARM SIDE OF NORMAL. && .AVIATION... A FEW SHOWERS AND STORMS AROUND THE TAMPA BAY AREA EARLY THIS MORNING COULD CAUSE SOME BRIEF MVFR/LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS AT TPA AND PIE. OTHERWISE...GENERAL VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD OUTSIDE OF THE TYPICAL DIURNAL THUNDERSTORMS WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME MVFR/LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS. ISOLATED STORMS WILL DEVELOP NEAR THE COAST IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON AND THEN MIGRATE INLAND WITH MORE SCATTERED CONVECTION MOVING WEST BACK TOWARD THE WEST COAST DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. && .MARINE... HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MIDWEEK KEEPING WINDS AND SEAS LOW. ONLY EXCEPTION WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH WILL BE MOST LIKELY DURING THE NIGHTTIME AND EARLY MORNING HOURS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL WATERS...AND DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON ACROSS TAMPA BAY AND CHARLOTTE HARBOR. && .FIRE WEATHER... NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS REMAIN ABOVE 35 PERCENT AND WINDS AND ERC VALUES STAY BELOW CRITICAL THRESHOLDS. THE ONLY FIRE HAZARD EXPECTED WILL BE DANGER FROM LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH PASSING THUNDERSTORMS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 93 79 92 78 / 40 30 40 40 FMY 94 76 93 75 / 50 40 60 30 GIF 96 76 95 76 / 30 20 50 40 SRQ 92 75 91 77 / 30 30 40 40 BKV 95 74 94 74 / 40 30 40 40 SPG 93 81 91 81 / 30 30 40 40 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...69/CLOSE LONG TERM/DECISION SUPPORT...09/RUDE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 526 AM EDT MON JUN 22 2015 FLZ043-050-052-056-057-061-139-142-148-149-151-155-160-162-165- 239-242-248-249-251-255-260-262-265-GMZ830-836-850-853-856-870- 873-876-230930- SUMTER-PINELLAS-POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DESOTO-COASTAL LEVY- COASTAL CITRUS-COASTAL HERNANDO-COASTAL PASCO- COASTAL HILLSBOROUGH-COASTAL MANATEE-COASTAL SARASOTA- COASTAL CHARLOTTE-COASTAL LEE-INLAND LEVY-INLAND CITRUS- INLAND HERNANDO-INLAND PASCO-INLAND HILLSBOROUGH-INLAND MANATEE- INLAND SARASOTA-INLAND CHARLOTTE-INLAND LEE-TAMPA BAY WATERS- CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND PINE ISLAND SOUND- COASTAL WATERS FROM TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM TARPON SPRINGS TO SUWANNEE RIVER FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM ENGLEWOOD TO TARPON SPRINGS FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD FL OUT 20 TO 60 NM- 526 AM EDT MON JUN 22 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... EXPECT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ON THE GULF EARLY THIS MORNING. STORMS WILL BECOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED ON LAND DURING THE AFTERNOON...WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 75 CORRIDOR...THEN DRIFT BACK TOWARD THE GULF THIS EVENING. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE INLAND DURING THE AFTERNOONS. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. RUDE
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:55 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media reported that lightning struck an 8 unit condominium building, causing a small fire in the attic.
Florida Emergency Management and local broadcast media relayed pictures of a funnel near Charlotte County Airport, with some pictures showing what appears to be the funnel touching the ground. No damage was reported. Location estimated from radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2015Warnings in Florida, June 2015
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 572655, 575168.