Florida: Mexico Beach smashed by violent storm after tornado warning

A large thunderstorm swept in from the sea and hit Florida’s Mexico Beach early on Monday morning after warnings of a tornado threat. There was a risk of flash flooding amid heavy rainfall in the area, forecasters warned.

Meteorologist Jim Cantore called the storm “dangerous” in a post on X and said trailers and RVs in the area had been overturned.

The National Weather Service had severe thunderstorm warnings in place for Gulf County in the Panhandle of Florida, and both Southern Liberty County and Franklin County in the Big Bend of Florida.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.