Tornado confirmed early Friday evening in Osceola County

The work week ended with the hottest temperatures registered so far this year, and a tornado.
On Friday, the sea breeze developed just after 4 p.m., clearly noticeable on radar. Our team of meteorologists were closely watching this as it had the potential to spark some thunderstorms as it moved closer to the I-4 corridor. Just after 7:30 p.m. the thunderstorms stretched from northern Osceola County to north-central Orange County. Storms topped out about 45,000 feet and produced lots of lightning from Winter Springs to the south of St. Cloud.

At 8:25 p.m., the National Weather Service put out a statement about the potential of funnel clouds developing near East Lake Toho. At 8:34 p.m., a tornado was confirmed near Narcoosee. About 10 minutes after it was issued, the warning was cancelled.

Examining the radar, it seemed it started over East Lake Toho as a waterspout and then moved over land, becoming a tornado.

This occurred over a rural area, and some residents nearby were able to take pictures and videos.

During the summer months, it is common to have thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening hours in Central Florida. These storms are usually developed by the sea breeze, which is started by the heat rising over the interior. At times, when winds aloft are favorable, tornadoes can occur. This type of tornado is often brief in duration and tends to be on the weaker end of the scale. Still, all tornadoes can cause damage and are dangerous.

You can always get notifications right to your mobile device if you are near a threatened area by downloading our WFTV Weather APP.

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Tom Terry
Brian Shields
George Waldenberger
Marina Jurica
Rusty McCraine
Irene Sans

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