Severe thunderstorm watch issued May 5 for Treasure Coast, as hail pelts some areas

Yahoo

06-05-2025

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued May 5 for nine counties, including the Treasure Coast until 9 p.m., according to a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
'We currently have a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties until 9 p.m. for severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds possibly up to 50 to 70 mph and hail up to 2 inches,' said meteorologist Robert Haley.
Along with rain in the afternoon in Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and southern Martin County around Port Salerno, dime-sized hail bounced on vehicles, outdoor furniture and concrete.
The storm system is expected to bring scattered heavy rainfall that may cause drainage flooding and 'deadly cloud-to-ground lightning.'
'These storms are expected to develop along the sea breeze as it pushes inland,' he said, which are then expected to push back over the Treasure Coast into the early evening.
'There's going to be two rounds for the Treasure Coast counties: The first one is happening right now and then that activity will push inland,' Haley said. 'But then we expect it to move back towards the coast later this evening.'
That second push could happen around 8 p.m., depending on location, he said.
Radar
'It's actually not too different from the summertime afternoon thunderstorms where everything is just driven by chaotic boundary interactions and you just have to watch and see how things form and how things evolve,' he said.
'The extra ingredients that are going on (May 5) is the upper levels are more supportive of stronger thunderstorms than we typically see in the summer time so that's where the hail threat and the stronger wind threat is coming from.'
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The tri-county area should be free of thunderstorms by midnight he said.
There's a slight chance for more scattered showers on May 6, he said.
'The severe threat does not continue into (May 6,)' he said. 'Just some showers and thunderstorms possible.'
(This story was updated with radar imagery, video and more information.)
Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Treasure Coast under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m.