A hurricane warning has been issued for parts of the Florida Gulf Coast as the state braces for the impact of Tropical Storm Idalia, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and make landfall later this week.
The hurricane watch spans from Englewood to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay, according to an update from the National Hurricane Center on Sunday afternoon.
Additionally, a tropical storm watch has been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Englewood to Chokoloskee and Dry Tortugas as reported by CNN.
The hurricane center noted that the storm is currently located about 100 miles east of Cozumel, Mexico, moving at a speed of around 3 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
Weather experts predict that Hurricane Idalia will slowly cross the Yucatan Channel over the next 24 to 36 hours, leading to tropical storm conditions in the far eastern parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and the western tip of Cuba by Monday.
It is expected that Idalia will make landfall near Big Bend in Florida as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday morning.
In a recent update from the National Hurricane Center, it stated, “Additional strengthening is anticipated, and Hurricane Idalia is forecast to become a hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico by early Tuesday.
Further intensification is possible as Idalia approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast, hurricane hunters are investigating Idalia to obtain data as the system becomes more organized.
The hurricane center previously highlighted a ‘significant risk of rapid intensification’ as the storm moves over the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Rapid intensification occurs when a storm’s maximum sustained winds increase by 35 mph or more within a 24-hour period.
The hurricane center forecasts rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches over western Cuba, the western coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle, and southern Georgia, with isolated totals of up to 10 inches, heavy rainfall may also affect parts of the Carolinas by Wednesday and Thursday.
The center warns that heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding, particularly in western Cuba, the western coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle, and parts of the southeastern United States.”
