Tampa, FL Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Tampa in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Tampa What TALON shows

Which radars cover Tampa?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Tampa, FL is KTBW (Tampa), about 17 miles to the south-southeast. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Tampa	View of low-level rotation
KTBW Tampa, FL	17 mi south-southeast	900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KMLB Melbourne, FL	111 mi east	11,200 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KJAX Jacksonville, FL	181 mi north-northeast	24,700 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Tampa's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Tampa

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 325 tornadoes within 25 miles of Tampa, 34 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in July and June. The strongest was an F4 on April 4, 1966, which passed about 3 miles north-northwest of the city and caused 11 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on September 25, 2025, which touched down about 14 miles west-southwest of the city.

Hail: 218 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Tampa since 1955, 6 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.00-inch hail (teacup size) on April 24, 2023.

Tornadoes since 1950	325
EF2/F2 or stronger	34
Strongest tornado	F4 · Apr 1966
Busiest tornado month	July
Largest hail	3.00 in · Apr 2023

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Tampa radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Tampa?

KTBW near Tampa, FL, about 17 miles away. A second radar, KMLB (Melbourne), is 111 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Tampa?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Tampa the lowest scan from KTBW is roughly 900 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Tampa?

NOAA records show 325 tornadoes within 25 miles of Tampa since 1950 — about 4.3 a year on average, most often in July and June. Most were weak, but 34 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Tampa, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.