Tropical Storm Idalia:
Tropical Storm Idalia officially formed at 11:15AM near the Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday morning and is currently about 95 miles east-southeast of Cozumel.
It is forecast to gain strength and become a hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. Though its center is expected to stay off the Southwest Florida coastline, we will still feel impacts Tuesday into Wednesday in the form of gusty winds, 2-4" of rainfall (locally up to 6"), and 2 to 4 feet of storm surge that could lead to beach erosion. These impacts and specific timing will be adjusted as new data arrive.
Tropical Storm Watches and Storm Surge Watches have been issued for Southwest Florida.
The storm is forecast to make landfall between Tampa and Apalachicola Wednesday morning as a possible Category 2. The intensity forecast can and will change as it emerges into the Gulf of Mexico. Thereafter, it's forecast to weaken to a tropical storm and impact southern Georgia and the coastal Carolinas on Thursday.
Hurricane Franklin:
Franklin is forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane on Monday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Franklin could become a major hurricane later today or tonight.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 970 mb based on data from aircraft reconnaissance.
Swells generated by Franklin are expected to begin affecting Bermuda by tonight. These swells are also likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions beginning late today through the beginning of this week along portions of the east coast of the United States.
Eastern Tropical Atlantic:
A tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa in a couple of days. Some slow development of this system is possible later this week while the system moves westward across the eastern tropical Atlantic. * Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent. * Formation chance through 7 days...low...20 percent.
Historically we start looking a little farther east in the Atlantic for potential development. Here are all the origin points for development between August 21st through August 31st.
Fox 4 will update you as soon as new information and data are available.
