Tropical storm Idalia is expected to intensify early this week as the system barrels towards Florida’s Gulf Coast, forecasters said.
The system was forecast to become a dangerous “major hurricane” over the northeast Gulf of Mexico by early Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said. A major hurricane is defined as a Category 3 system or above on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
It said that hurricane warnings could be issued for parts of Florida later Monday.
The storm threatens to bring “life-threatening storm surge, hurricane force winds and scattered flash and urban flooding” along parts of the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle as early as Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
The hurricane center said parts of the west coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle, southeast Georgia and the eastern Carolinas could see around 4 to 8 inches of rain from Tuesday into Thursday, with isolated totals of 12 inches possible.
“Areas of flash and urban flooding, some of which may be locally significant, are expected across portions of the west coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle, and southern Georgia Tuesday into Wednesday, spreading into portions of the eastern Carolinas Wednesday into Thursday,” it said.
Already, the storm was intensifying as it approached Cuba Monday morning, the hurricane center said.
As of 5 a.m. ET, Idalia was about 125 miles south of the western tip of Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, it said.
A hurricane warning, which means hurricane conditions are expected, was in effect for the city of Pinar del Río in Cuba, while a tropical storm warning was in place for Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Rio Lagartos, including Cozumel, in Cuba, along with the Isle of Youth.
A tropical storm warning was also in place for the Dry Tortugas in Florida, while a storm surge watch was also in effect for Chokoloskee to Indian Pass in Florida, including Tampa Bay, according to the hurricane center.
A hurricane watch, which means hurricane conditions are possible, was in place for Englewood to Indian Pass in Florida, including Tampa Bay.
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