Tropical Storm Andrea became a little stronger early Thursday as it continued to head toward Florida's Big Bend, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 7 a.m., Andrea had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as it moved north-northeast at 14 mph about 160 miles west of Tampa and 140 miles south of Apalachicola.
Meanwhile, a tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service for Miami-Dade and Broward until 11 a.m.
The National Weather Service said three tornadoes touched down in South Florida on Thursday. At 3:20 a.m. a tornado damaged powerlines in Belle Glade. At 6:45 a.m. another in the Acreage injured one person and damaged homes and powerlines. The final one at 8:10 in Broward County, northwest of State Road 27, didn't cause any damage.
A team is going to survey the aftermath of the tornado in the Acreage, which caused the most damages.
The weather service said the rain in South Florida, which is at 70 percent chance of rain for the next few days, is a from a rain band extending out from Andrea.
Andrea isn't expected to strengthen before its center reaches the Florida coast later Thursday, the hurricane center said. An increase in forward speed and a turn toward the northeast are expected.
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Andrea will reach the coast of the Florida Big Bend area then move across southeastern Georgia, southeastern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina by Friday, the hurricane center said.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the west coast of Florida from Boca Grande to Indian Pass, Flagler Beach to Cape Charles Light in Virginia, Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds and the lower Chesapeake Bay south of New Point Comfort.
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Andrea is expected to deliver between 3 and 6 inches of rain over much of the Florida peninsula, eastern parts of the Florida Panhandle and southeastern Georgia, with up to 8 inches possible in some spots.
Andrea, which became the first named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season Wednesday, was not expected to directly impact South Florida, though scattered showers and occasional thunderstorms were possible throughout Thursday.
As the storms track northeast, the weather in South Florida will steadily improve.
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Photo Credit: National Hurricane Center