TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The tornado watch covering all Tampa Bay counties has expired.
A line of strong thunderstorms has continued to move through Tampa Bay on Thursday afternoon. This particular storm system was producing tornadoes across the Southeast region.
The National Weather Service said the storm produced a tornado that caused damage to buildings in Pinellas County. A WFLA crew spotted multiple trees that fell onto structures in the area.
Chief Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli said the storm cell moved across Treasure Island to near the Tyrone Mall. From there, it moved south of Lealman and weakened east of Shore Acres.
While the system is slightly weaker now, it still has enough energy to create strong thunderstorms. Some of these storms will produce damaging wind gusts and even an isolated tornado. Watch for waterspouts in the Gulf of Mexico that push onshore as tornadoes. Rainfall amounts of 1/2 inch to 2 inches are possible.