A front that moved north past Cuba overnight and became Tropical Storm Debby on Saturday as it added muscle will likely register hurricane-strength winds before reaching Florida’s south-facing Gulf coastline, forecasters said.
Since Friday, the front developed from a potential tropical cyclone to a tropical depression, and it continues to draw strength from warm, tropical water. Tropical Storm Debby was expected to continue moving northwest at 14 mph and hug Florida’s west coast.
“The center of Debby will move across the southeastern and eastern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Sunday, reaching the Florida Gulf coast late Sunday night or Monday,” the National Hurricane Center said in an update Saturday.
The storm was about 270 miles south of Tampa, Florida, by 8 p.m. ET, according to center. On Saturday night, the city of Tampa said in statement that it would close parks, recreation centers and marinas in anticipation of heavy weather on Sunday.
Debby is the fourth named storm of the North Atlantic hurricane season.
Forecast cones from the hurricane center show the storm moving ashore Monday morning, roughly from Apalachee Bay to Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve.
“The system is likely to be at or near hurricane strength when it reaches the Florida Gulf coast,” the center said.
The National Hurricane Center said squalls from the storm were spreading across the Florida Keys and mainland. U.S. Air Force Reserve and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “hurricane hunters” were using aircraft to size up the storm, the center said in an update late Saturday.
The named tropical storm designation means the front has sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph. Sustained hurricane-force winds are 74 mph and stronger.
Read the full article here
