Severe weather likely across Southeast this weekend with hail and tornadoes

It’s no rest for the weary in Florida this weekend as what has been a very stormy April finishes up with not one, but two rounds of severe weather.

Between the dual threats, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has placed about 12 million people across Florida and southern Georgia are in a Level 2 risk for severe weather Saturday, including Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee.

A Level 1 risk extends to another nearly 12 million in the Southeast, including New Orleans, Mobile and Jackson, Mississippi.

Due to the threat of storms pose, a Tornado Watch has been issued for much of the Peninsula through 10 p.m.

More than 11,000,000 residents are under the watch that stretches from just outside of Jacksonville to Lake Okeechobee.

The first round of severe weather is due in Saturday afternoon and evening as a batch of thunderstorms that caused storm damage in Texas Friday travels across the Gulf of Mexico and pushes across much of Florida and even into southern Georgia.

For the Florida Panhandle, western Florida coast and southern Georgia these storms are looking to cluster together and present primarily a damaging wind threat with gusts over 60 mph to go along with frequent lightning and hail.

However, these storms could form into individual supercell thunderstorms along the eastern coasts of north and central Florida, leading to a renewed risk of large hail along and even the potential for a few tornadoes.

A second round of severe weather comes in Saturday night into early Sunday as trailing cold front sweeps through Georgia and Florida.

Once again, strong thunderstorms will contain large hail, damaging wind gusts and even a few nighttime tornadoes are possible. 

“Trying to get some extra sleep in Sunday morning? Probably not, it’s going to be rowdy,” says FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera.

And this time the severe weather risk extends all the way into south Florida, with Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Naples now included in a Level 2 risk of severe weather.

“Trying to get some extra sleep in Sunday morning? Probably not, it’s going to be rowdy,” says FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera.

And this time the severe weather risk extends all the way into south Florida, with Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Naples now included in a Level 2 risk of severe weather.