Photo: NOAA
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for South and Central Florida. If Tropical Cyclone 1 develops into a Tropical Storm, it will be the 1st storm of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season and named Alex. Five to twelve inches of rain is forecasted and flooding is expected throughout the state. A few tornadoes are possible over the southern Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys tonight and Saturday.
At 500 PM EDT, the disturbance was centered near latitude 23.0 North, longitude 85.8 West. The system is moving toward the northeast near 7 mph, and a northeastward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.
On the forecast track, the system should move across the southeastern Gulf of Mexico tonight, across the southern and central portions of the Florida Peninsula on Saturday, and then over the southwestern Atlantic north of the northwestern Bahamas late Saturday through Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts. The system is expected to develop a well-defined center and become a tropical storm tonight, and some slight strengthening is possible while it approaches Florida. Additional strengthening is possible after the system moves east of Florida over the western Atlantic Saturday night and Sunday.
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