Photo: NOAA
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for South and Central Florida but this system remains highly disorganized.
Five to twelve inches of rain is forecasted and flooding is expected throughout the state and people are being encouraged to stay off the roads. A few tornadoes are possible over the southern Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys today.
At 5 AM EDT, the system is about 100 miles SW of Fort Myers and has picked up speed. It's currently moving toward the northeast near 18 mph, and a northeastward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.
On the forecast track, a turn toward the east-northeast with an additional increase in forward speed is expected tomorrow, followed by a turntoward the east Monday night. On the forecast track, thedisturbance is expected to move across southern or central Florida today, over the southwestern Atlantic north of the Bahamas tonight, and near or to the north of Bermuda on Monday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts, mainly in squalls. The disturbance is expected to become a tropical storm off the east coast of Florida by tonight, and some strengthening is forecast tonight through Monday as the system moves farther away from Florida over the western Atlantic.
Warnings have been issued for:
* Florida Keys including the Dry Tortugas
* Florida Bay
* West coast of Florida south of the Middle of Longboat Key to Card
Sound Bridge
* East coast of Florida south of the Volusia/Brevard County Line to
Card Sound Bridge
* Lake Okeechobee
* Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, and Mayabeque
* Northwestern Bahamas
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Cuban provinces of Matanzas and the Isle of Youth