Lightning damaged a dock at Big Coppitt Key as a tropical wave moved west through the Florida Keys, accompanied by scattered thunderstorms.
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The episode as NWS KEY wrote it up.
Lightning damaged a dock at Big Coppitt Key as a tropical wave moved west through the Florida Keys, accompanied by scattered thunderstorms.
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 Key West, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 19, 3:58 AM EST, 2 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Key West FL 458 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023 ...New DISCUSSION, MARINE, AVIATION... .DISCUSSION... Issued at 458 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023 Very warm and humid conditions prevail across the Florida Keys and adjacent coastal waters this morning, with air temperatures holding in the mid to upper 80s and dewpoint temperatures in the mid to upper 70s yielding heat indices generally in the 95-100F range. However, a gentle to moderate easterly breeze has developed thanks to an approaching tropical wave. Meanwhile, the latest Key West Doppler radar base reflectivity data show scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms moving quickly westward or west-northwestward over the service area. A larger cluster of showers and storms currently is approaching communities in the middle and upper Keys. A wind gust of 35 knots was recored recently at the Weatherflow Mesonet station at the Alligator Reef Lighthouse off Islamorada. On the large scale, the Florida Keys are (at least temporarily) beneath deep easterly flow just north of the northern part of a tropical wave migrating westward across the Caribbean. Expansive deep layer mean anticyclones are centered well east (Sargasso Sea) and west (Chihuahuan Desert) of Florida, while persistent cyclonic flow covers most of southern Canada and the northern tier of the United States. The resident air mass across the Florida Keys is a rich maritime tropical variety with a deep moist layer associated with the confluent northeastern part of the Caribbean tropical wave. An few periods of unsettled weather are likely today through Thursday as the tropical wave migrates across and west of the service area. In addition, cloud cover should be above average. As such, we held off on heat advisories as heat index values should remain just below thresholds today and probably Thursday. Total rainfall amounts between today and Thursday will most likely be in the 0.25-1.00-inch range, with locally higher and lower amounts. This of course would be a welcome albeit temporary relief from the historic heat. By Friday, much drier air should work in aloft from the east (remnant Saharan Air Layer plume). Weak large-scale ridging will govern large-scale flow over the weekend, and therefore, we expect Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to be mostly clear/sunny, hot, and humid with low rain/thunder chances. Heat Advisories may very well be needed each of these days. Early next week, a potential ENE steering flow pattern may develop favoring island cloud lines and afternoon/evening storms moving off mainland Florida toward the Keys. We shall see. In the meantime, enjoy a day or two with higher cloud cover and rain prospects, and get ready for "high heat" this weekend. && .MARINE... Issued at 458 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023 No watches, warnings, or advisories are in effect for Florida Keys coastal waters zones. The northern part of a tropical wave will migrate westward across Florida Keys coastal waters today and tonight. Winds and seas will be higher in and near numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms today and tonight. A high pressure ridge extending across southern Florida will weaken Thursday through Friday, with a weak pressure pattern and lighter breezes expected across Florida Keys coastal waters Saturday and Sunday. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 458 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023 Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms will pass over the island terminals bringing MVFR or brief IFR conditions, mainly this morning. Expect gusty winds to accompany the stronger convection. Outside of any shower or thunderstorms, winds will be out of the southeast 10 to 15 knots. && .CLIMATE... Issued at 458 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023 The all-time warm low temperature record was broken yesterday in Marathon. The low temperature of 87F broke the daily record of 84F, set last year (2022), and the all-time record warm low of 86F, set just two days ago on July 17. In addition, the low temperature of 87F in Key West tied the all-time warm minimum temperature record, most recently reached last week on July 12. This value of course broke the daily record of 85F, set in 2018. The high temperature of 98F in Marathon extends its record streak with temperatures above 95F to 16 days in a row. Temperature records at Key West and Marathon date back to 1872 and 1950, respectively. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Key West 91 83 91 84 / 70 60 50 40 Marathon 92 83 92 84 / 70 60 50 40 && .KEY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. GM...None. && Public/Marine/Fire...Kasper Aviation/Nowcasts....LIW Visit us on the web at weather.gov/key Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at: www.facebook.com/nwskeywest www.twitter.com/nwskeywest
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Key West FL 518 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023 FLZ076>078-GMZ031>035-042>044-052>055-072>075-201000- Monroe Upper Keys-Monroe Middle Keys-Monroe Lower Keys- Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound- Bayside and Gulf side from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge- Gulf waters from East Cape Sable to Chokoloskee 20 to 60 NM out and beyond 5 fathoms- Gulf of Mexico including Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoal Channel- Gulf of Mexico from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon Shoal out to 5 Fathoms- Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef- Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out to the reef- Hawk Channel from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to Halfmoon Shoal out to the reef- Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM- Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM- Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of Halfmoon Shoal out 20 NM- Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 NM west of Dry Tortugas out 20 NM- Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key 20 to 60 NM out- Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge 20 to 60 NM out- Straits of Florida from west end of Seven Mile Bridge to south of Halfmoon Shoal 20 to 60 NM out- Straits of Florida from Halfmoon Shoal to 20 NM west of Dry Tortugas 20 to 60 NM out- 518 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Florida Keys and adjacent coastal waters. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are expected today and tonight. The primary thunderstorm hazard will be lightning strikes. In addition, some of the stronger storms will bring locally gusty and shifting winds with potential wind gusts of 35 to 45 knots. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Scattered thunderstorms are expected Thursday, with isolated thunderstorms expected Thursday night through Tuesday. The primary thunderstorm hazards will be lightning strikes and gusty, shifting winds. Increased cloud cover, wind speeds, and rainfall coverage likely will keep heat index values below Heat Advisory criteria on Thursday. However, by Friday, reduced cloud cover, rain chances, and wind speeds will once again combine to elevate heat index values, and Heat Advisories likely will be required during daylight hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. Kasper
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Key West FL
439 AM EDT Wed Jul 19 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0431 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 SSE Islamorada 24.86N 80.62W
07/19/2023 M40 MPH GMZ042 FL Mesonet
A southeast wind gust of 35 knots or 40 mph,
was recorded by the WeatherFlow mesonet at
Alligator Reef Light.
&&
LIWThe Key West radar (KBYX), 5 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:59 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A lightning strike to a dock damaged a concrete piling. Photos relayed through social media showed cracks and missing pieces of the plastic casing, as well as to an interior concrete post in two separate areas above and below the wooden dock level.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, July 2023
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: 1125047.