Name: Funnel Cloud in Florida, August 15, 2024
Start: 2024-08-15T15:40
End: 2024-08-15T15:40
Location: Florida

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.

Afternoon thunderstorms associated with the sea breeze produce a funnel cloud near Shell Creek in Charlotte County.

What forecasters said that day

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 Aug 15, 1:01 PM EST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 15, 1:01 PM EST, 2 hours 39 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
201 PM EDT Thu Aug 15 2024

...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER...

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 159 PM EDT Thu Aug 15 2024

Currently, a weak frontal boundary is working southwest over the
state. Ample moisture associated with this front is aiding the
development of showers along central Florida. These showers and
thunderstorms will continue to develop into the evening and drift
SW, bringing a relief from the triple digit heat indices as it does.
Behind the front, dry air will begin to filter in tomorrow
afternoon.  By Saturday dewpoints will dip into the 60s for some
areas low 70s for others, which will feel like quite the relief
compared to the past week. The drier air will also keep rain chances
very low through the weekend, with the exception being SWFL where
some moisture will still linger. The dry air will not hang around
long. By Monday the flow shifts back out of the SW as the surface
ridge stays south of the area. This flow will favor morning
showers/storms along the coast with convection transitioning inland
later in the afternoon/evening.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 159 PM EDT Thu Aug 15 2024

Showers and storms expected to move through the area as a frontal
boundary continues to move SW through central FL. Some small showers
are beginning to develop ahead of the front, with more likely later
this afternoon/evening. Dry air moves in tomorrow leading to lower
rain chances through the weekend.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 159 PM EDT Thu Aug 15 2024

Scattered showers and storms likely over coastal waters this evening
as a frontal boundary moves over the area. Increased winds as the
boundary moves through could reach exercise caution levels, but
should subside tomorrow. SW flow returns early next week with no
other major concerns at this time.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 159 PM EDT Thu Aug 15 2024

Some dry air will move in for the weekend, but RH values will remain
about critical levels, as it's still summertime in Florida.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TPA  75  92  72  91 /  20  10   0  10
FMY  78  92  75  93 /  40  50  10  30
GIF  75  92  72  92 /  10  10   0  10
SRQ  76  93  73  93 /  30  20   0  10
BKV  72  93  68  92 /  10   0   0  10
SPG  80  93  79  93 /  30  10   0  10

&&

Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Regime For Thursday: 2
Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Regime For Friday: 2

For additional information on sea breeze regimes, go to:
     https://www.weather.gov/tbw/ThunderstormClimatology

&&

.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
Gulf waters...None.

&&

DISCUSSION/AVIATION/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...Pearce
DECISION SUPPORT...Giarratana

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 15, 3:08 PM EST, 32 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
408 PM EDT Thu Aug 15 2024

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

0344 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 W Apollo Beach        27.77N 82.43W
08/15/2024  M44 MPH          Hillsborough       FL   Public

            Several home weather stations in Apollo
            Beach reported wind gusts of 40 mph and 44
            mph.

&&

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Charlotte

When: August 15, 3:40 PM EST
Where: Charlotte County, 6.5 mi WNW of Bermont
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 26.980, -81.850

Broadcast media relayed pictures of a funnel cloud between Babcock Ranch and Shell Creek.

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, August 2024

Sources

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: 1215119.