The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for southwest Brevard until 3:30 p.m

At 2:20 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado occurred near Blue Cypress Lake in Indian River County, moving north at 30 miles per hour. The radar showed rotation, the weather service said.

As Hurricane Milton approaches, tornadoes will be one of the biggest threats to Central Florida, federal meteorologists warned.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a tornado warning for portions of coastal waters in Central and South Florida, effective Wednesday morning from 8:15 a.m. to 9 p.m

Major threats include multiple tornadoes with likely isolated damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph.

Hurricane Milton is expected to bring hurricane-force winds and heavy rain and produce a storm surge of up to 4 feet in Brevard County.

The storm strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane on Monday. Once it reaches Brevard late Wednesday or early Thursday, Milton is expected to be a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph.

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A hurricane warning and local state of emergency remain in effect for Brevard County.

There is a risk of tornadoes along the outer bands of Milton

Supercells in Hurricane Milton’s outer rainbands will “pose a threat for multiple tornadoes across the central and southern Florida Peninsula today,” the Storm Prediction Center warned Wednesday morning. “The forecast maximum wind gusts and mean cell motion are for severe thunderstorms outside the eyewall.”

What precautions should I take?

A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and near the watch area.

Anyone in the observation area should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and pay attention to updated statements and possible tornado warnings. Severe thunderstorms with hail and gusts of up to 70 miles per hour are expected.

For current tornado warning information, visit NOAA’s Storm Prediction website: www.spc.noaa.gov.

Contact Waymer at (321) 261-5903 or [email protected]. Follow him on X at @JWayEnviro.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Southwest Brevard is under a tornado warning until 3 p.m