Afternoon thunderstorms associated with the sea breeze produce a waterspout over Estero Bay near Bonita Springs in Lee County. The waterspout very briefly became a tornado as it crossed over a 200-foot diameter swath of an uninhabited island in the bay before again becoming a waterspout after crossing the island.
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The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
Afternoon thunderstorms associated with the sea breeze produce a waterspout over Estero Bay near Bonita Springs in Lee County. The waterspout very briefly became a tornado as it crossed over a 200-foot diameter swath of an uninhabited island in the bay before again becoming a waterspout after crossing the island.
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 30, 12:35 PM EST, 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
135 PM EDT Sun Jun 30 2024
...New AVIATION...
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 134 PM EDT Sun Jun 30 2024
Widespread convection is ongoing across SWFL, with the expectation
that more development will happen within the next hour or so
farther to the north around the Tampa Bay Area. All terminals will
have the potential for MVFR to even IFR conditions and gusty
winds briefly over the next few hours. The highest confidence is
for SWFL terminals, and the lowest confidence is for KLAL.
Activity should wind down within a couple hours of sunset, with a
quiet night expected thereafter. Slightly drier air tomorrow looks
to limit overall convective potential, with probs too low for
mention at any terminal for this TAF cycle. SWFL terminals may see
a window late tomorrow afternoon.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TPA 77 92 78 93 / 60 30 30 60
FMY 75 91 77 92 / 40 50 30 70
GIF 74 93 76 94 / 40 50 20 70
SRQ 75 91 77 93 / 60 20 30 60
BKV 73 93 74 94 / 60 30 30 70
SPG 79 91 81 93 / 60 20 30 60
&&
Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Regime For Sunday: 2
Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Regime For Monday: 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.
&&
FlanneryThe Tampa radar (KTBW), 159 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:15 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media relayed multiple videos of waterspout traversing Estero Bay near Bonita Springs, briefly becoming a tornado as it passed over a 200-foot diameter swath of an uninhabited island in the bay.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2024Warnings in Florida, June 2024
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: 1188388.