Thanks so much for those really handy tips.
And remember what everything
that Bobby said, it's very true.
So we do see that severe
weather threat for today.
However, it's all about the timing.
So today we do want to focus in on this.
We just got the latest advisory from
the National Hurricane Center, Idalia,
now a category one hurricane in the Gulf.
Now we do anticipate the system is
going to continue to travel northward.
It's moving N at 14 mph and it's
going to undergo what we call rapid
intensification thanks to how warm these
sea surface temperatures are in the Gulf.
That's going to serve as plenty of
fuel for this storm to get its act
together and grow and intensify rapidly.
So what we do anticipate is heading into
a late tonight and early tomorrow morning
that this system could become a major
hurricane category three right there
as it's approaching the state of Florida.
Now that landfall still projected to be the
Big Ben and I know you might be thinking,
OK, we're out of the cone,
we won't see anything that is wrong.
We are still going to be impacted and
this system is still large enough that
those impacts from the system are going
to be felt far outside of the cone.
And remember the cone is only a trajectory
of where the center portion of it could be.
So if it falls more eastward,
which is what we've seen before previously,
we could see this system shift
closer to the Tampa Bay area.
That eye wall that's going to be the
most dangerous part of the storm.
So the further offshore the eyewall stays,
the less impacts for us.
But the closer gets if this wobbles
more eastward,
that would mean more impacts for us.
But no need to worry.
Today is the day where you're going to
get those last minute preparations done.
We are under this hurricane warning,
so keep that in mind and let's take
you hour by hour so that way we know
when you can get that stuff to make
sure you're prepared and have all those
supplies in your hurricane kit and
getting that hurricane plan into action.
So take a look at this,
this is 1030.
We're still seeing those skies,
pretty much partly cloudy to mostly cloudy.
The cloud cover starting to really
tack on right around 10,
thirty 11:00 and you start to see
the system progressing up northward
and we get the first couple of bands
that are giving us that threat for
severe weather that Mike Preenley is
going to talk about here in a second.
So we start to see the bands moving
in right around 2-3 o'clock,
bringing with them that threat for an
isolated tornado and heavy amounts
of rainfall as the system continues
to shift more northward.
This is 1130 tonight,
so the main event is going to be late
tonight, early tomorrow morning.
You can see the eye almost just
parallel Tampa Bay, this is 1:30 AM
It's going to continue, excuse me,
to travel northward heading into two
3:00 AM That's when we do continue
to see these bands of rain and wind.
However, the one main impact,
the most dangerous part of the
storm is that storm surge.
So the tornado threat is mainly
for tonight up until midnight.
After midnight,
the main threat then becomes storm surge.
So that is because we see these
winds coming in from the southwest,
pushing all that water into the Bay.
But this morning and early afternoon,
you still have time to get those supplies.
So no need to worry,
just stay prepared all throughout
the day and me and Mike pregnant
are going to help you do that.
Let's take a look at Your local weather
and that severe weather threat for today.
Go right to the tornado threat
and that would be this afternoon.
So a quiet start as you head out the door.
No problems whatsoever as
far as severe weather.
In fact, as we take a look at
this afternoon that will change.
Primary threats would be isolated tornadoes,
wind gusts in those bands that Amanda
showed you at 50 mph plus and St.
flooding. So you see the yellow
shading for most of our viewing area.
That's a severe weather risk of
two out of five that would be
this afternoon into this evening.
So it's just something to keep in mind,
another reason not to be out and about.
We need to finish our preparation
this morning.
We look county by county and those impacts,
Citrus, Hernando and Pasco.
We're still expecting the biggest
impacts from this system.
You're gonna be closer to that
eye in the eye wall that will make
landfall in the big Bend as we head
into first thing tomorrow morning.
Closer you are to the center,
the higher the wind speeds.
You'll see some gusts to 80 mph.
It'll be like a strong tropical
storm with those isolated tornadoes.
8 to 12 foot surge tonight.
That is going to be the biggest
threat from this system.
It's the water against the coastline.
Crystal River.
You're gonna see that water come
up late tonight,
especially as we head toward dawn.
Tomorrow's when that water will peak.
You see the rainfall at 5 to 10 inches.
Move South.
OK,
we've got Pinellas County in
Hillsborough County. Check this out.
Still winds of 50 to 70 gusts
to 75 tornadoes.
And that storm surge? A big problem.
Four to seven feet.
Water 7 feet higher than it
should be and then you've got
the waves crashing on top of that
dangerous and life threatening.
So there is storm surge warnings
out for our coastal areas and
as you go down toward manatee in
Sarasota County also watching that
dangerous surge of two to four feet,
winds of 40 to 60 and gusts
to 70 mph inland areas,
this is a storm for all of us.
It's going to be a major hurricane
as it makes landfall and notice
those winds inland 30 to 60 with
two to four inches of rain.
So on our seven day forecast,
we've got bands of rain and wind
tornadoes possible that would be
as we go into after 2:00 today a
high of 91 storm peaks tonight,
mainly a night time event.
OK.
And then during the day Wednesday
we start windy with some rain and
then gradual improvements especially
during the afternoon with that high of 87.
And then good news,
we're getting ready for Labor Day weekend.
Yes,
we've got great weather,
so we slowly dry out and temperatures
near 90 degrees.