RAIN AT TIMES OVER NEXT FEW DAYS… Elevated rain chances are in store for south Alabama and northwest Florida over the next several days till Saturday. Then, unfortunately, it looks like higher heat index values are set to return for a bit.

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SCATTERED STORMS LOCALLY TODAY… While our focus will be to our east today as Hurricane Idalia moves ashore, we will be watching scattered thunderstorms locally on this Wednesday, mostly in the afternoon and evening hours.

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HURRICANE IDALIA PASSING TO OUR EAST; P.M. STORMS LOCALLY… Hurricane Idalia is a major hurricane set to make landfall imminently in the Big Bend region of Florida. Idalia is now a major hurricane, causing extensive impacts across much of north Florida. We are fortunate in south Alabama and northwest Florida that no major local impacts will happen because of Idalia in our local area. Dangerous rip currents will be a concern at the Alabama and northwest Florida beaches today and tomorrow. Double red flags are flying at many local beaches. Locally, we are expecting pop-up showers and thunderstorms to be possible this afternoon into this evening.

LANDFALL OF IDALIA IMMINENT IN BIG BEND REGION… The core of Hurricane Idalia will move ashore in the Big Bend region of Florida imminently, over the next few hours. We continue to advise absolutely no travel on Interstate 10 eastbound out of our local area from Marianna and points east. It is simply too dangerous for travel at this point near Tallahassee and Lake City on I-10 as extreme winds are occurring or are set to occur imminently. The core of Idalia will continue moving northeast through southern Georgia and ultimately into South Carolina later today.

HURRICANE FRANKLIN TO PASS BERMUDA TODAY… Hurricane Franklin is a large hurricane with an eye that is over 50 miles in diameter. Franklin is located about 230 miles west of Bermuda this morning. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Bermuda as tropical storm force winds will be possible throughout the day as the core of Franklin passes just to the northwest of the island commonwealth. Franklin will continue to gradually weaken while pushing northeast over the next few days. Maximum winds are near 115 mph now but Franklin is expected to become a category 1 hurricane in a few days before becoming extratropical over the northern Atlantic Ocean. No direct local impacts in south Alabama or northwest Florida will happen because of Hurricane Franklin.

TROPICAL DEPRESSION 11 IN ATLANTIC… Tropical Depression 11 formed “in the middle of nowhere” in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean yesterday. TD11 is located just about as far away as you can get from any land areas in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Africa. TD11 may briefly ramp up to tropical storm status before drifting north over cooler waters in the northern Atlantic Ocean over the next few days. No threat to any land areas.

SEPARATE TROPICAL DISTURBANCE IN EASTERN ATLANTIC… Conditions are favorable for a tropical depression or tropical storm to form in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean near the Cabo Verde Islands as a tropical wave moves west or northwest in the days ahead. The National Hurricane Center indicates there is a 50-60% chance of a tropical storm forming while this tropical wave moves west and moves away from the Cabo Verde Islands and the west coast of Africa. No threat to land anytime soon once the system passes through the Cabo Verde Islands.

MORE P.M. STORMS IN NEXT FEW DAYS… Locally, we have more pop-up, P.M. thunderstorms expected over the next few days into the weekend. Rain chances will spike again on Friday with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms being likely. High temperatures will be in the upper-80s today with low-90s likely over the next few days.

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.

See all the details in your Wednesday RedZone Weather forecast video. Have a great day!

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