HURRICANE WATCH FOR BIG BEND REGION OF FLORIDA AS T.S. IDALIA TO MOVE NORTH… A Hurricane Watch has been issued for parts of the Florida Gulf Coast, specifically for the Big Bend region, due to the expected approach of Tropical Storm Idalia. At 4PM on this Sunday, the center of Idalia is located about 95 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico in the far northwestern Caribbean Sea. The center of TD10/Idalia drifted south over the last 24 hours but is expected to begin moving north tonight or tomorrow. Idalia is now explicitly forecast to reach category 2 intensity before the expected landfall in the northern Florida Peninsula (not the Panhandle, but the Peninsula!) late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Significant local impacts in south Alabama and northwest Florida are not expected due to Idalia.
LOCAL IMPACTS DISCUSSION – SOUTH ALABAMA & N.W. FLORIDA… Significant local impacts are NOT expected in south Alabama or northwest Florida due to Tropical Storm Idalia, per the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center. Many questions over the last few hours asking if this forecast could change considerably. The answer at this point is, “probably not.” Confidence in the overall forecast continues to increase and impacts from Idalia will likely happen in parts of the Florida Peninsula and north Florida. This would put our local area on the better/west side of the storm as it moves north and ultimately northeast. An increased risk of rip currents will happen over the next several days at the Alabama and northwest Florida beaches.
WHAT TO EXPECT LOCALLY DUE TO IDALIA… Could our local area get some rain off Tropical Storm Idalia? Probably not, but the good news is OUTSIDE of Idalia, our area has higher rain chances in the P.M. hours each day this week compared to the last few weeks. We will experience scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms each day this week, Monday through Friday. Areas to our east like Panama City, Port St. Joe, and Mexico Beach probably will have at least some rainfall from Idalia as the core of the storm passes to the east of those areas on Tuesday into Wednesday.
HURRICANE WATCH FOR BIG BEND REGION OF FLORIDA… A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Englewood to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay. This includes Apalachichola, Carrabelle, Sopchoppy, St. Marks, Perry, Horseshoe Beach, Cedar Key, Crystal River, Homosassa, New Port Richey, Tarpon Springs, and Clearwater.
TROPICAL STORM WATCH & STORM SURGE WATCH FOR PARTS OF FLORIDA… In addition to the Hurricane Watch, a Storm Surge Watch is now in effect from Chokoloskee to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect south of Englewood (south of the Hurricane Watch) to Chokoloskee, and for the Dry Tortugas.
ISOLATED STRONG STORMS LOCALLY… Loud thunderstorms are happening this evening across parts of the local area. Heavy downpours of rain are happening near Grand Bay, Century, Flomaton, Canoe, Appleton, Pineview, Jay, McKenzie, Greenville, and Forest Home at the time I am producing this update around 4:15PM on Sunday. These thunderstorms are not moving much at all. Intense cloud-to-ground lightning and loud thunder is noted in some of these storms. If you’re close enough to a storm to hear thunder, please get inside!
INCREASED RAIN CHANCES AND LOWER HEAT NUMBERS THIS WEEK… Scattered to numerous pop-up showers and thunderstorms are expected on Monday and Tuesday. These storms will not be associated with Tropical Storm Idalia, but instead are the “normal pop-up thunderstorms” that our area experiences in the summer months. In addition to higher rain chances this week, we are looking forward to slightly lower temperatures. High temperatures will be in the 90s this week (as opposed to the triple digit heat of the last week) with morning lows in the upper-60s and near 70. Wednesday, in particular, looks nicer with high temperatures projected to be in the upper-80s!
APP… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the large, yellow Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
I will have a detailed video and text discussion with the latest details on Idalia posted by 7:15AM tomorrow morning. Have a nice Sunday evening!