SALLY FORMS IN BUSY TROPICS
Tropical Storm Sally drenched South Florida before heading into the Gulf for a potential landfall next week. Other storms loom, as well.
The National Hurricane Center is tracking a newly formed tropical depression after Tropical Depression 19 became Tropical Storm Sally. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Paulette is strengthening, Rene weakened to a depression and two Atlantic waves are being watched.
Soaking South Florida after making landfall south of Cutler Bay near Blackpoint Marina Saturday morning as a depression, the system was upgraded in the National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. advisory.
As of 5 p.m., Tropical Storm Sally had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph with higher gusts and was about 30 miles southsouthwestward of Naples. Its westward movement had slowed from 9 mph in the morning hours to 7 mph.
A tropical storm watch issued Friday evening for South Florida was canceled Saturday morning.
A turn toward the westnorthwest was expected Saturday night. Forecasters say a west-northwestward or northwestward motion is then expected during the next couple of days.
Sally is forecast to become a hurricane on Mon
day before making landfall Tuesday near Louisiana and Mississippi.
When Sally passed through South Florida as a depression Saturday morning and early afternoon, it led to flood advisories and gusty winds that would spread west throughout the day, the National Weather Service said.
South Miami-Dade, near the depression’s entry point in Cutler Bay, had more than five inches of rain by 10 a.m., according to WPLG-Local 10 meteorologist Brandon Orr. Islamorada, in the Middle Keys, had more than 9 inches.
In the 5 p.m. advisory, a storm surge watch was put in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama/Florida border, including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay.
A hurricane watch was also put in effect from Grand Isle Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border, including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and metropolitan New Orleans.
A tropical storm watch was extended westward from the Okaloosa/Walton County Line to the Alabama/Florida border.
Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Florida Panhandle by Sunday night, the hurricane center said.
In the 5 p.m. NHC advisory, forecasters announced Tropical Depression 20 formed over the Central Tropical Atlantic.
The depression was about 2,030 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands with 35 mph maximum sustained winds and traveling west-northwest at 9 mph. Currently, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Forecasters say the depression may see a slight increase in speed early next week. It is forecast to become a tropical storm Sunday afternoon and may become a hurricane by Tuesday.
Paulette was 460 miles southeast of Bermuda, moving northwest at 15 mph, with maximum winds holding at 70 mph in the hurricane center’s 5 p.m. advisory.
A hurricane warning was issued for Bermuda. On the forecast track, the center of Paulette will move near or over Bermuda early Monday morning, the hurricane center said.
A tropical disturbance over the north-central Gulf of Mexico was producing disorganized showers and a few thunderstorms, forecasters said in the 2 p.m. advisory.
It is forecast to see some slow development while it moves westward then southwestward through the middle of next week. The disturbance has a low 20 percent chance of forming in the next 48 hours and a low 30 percent chance of forming in the next five days.
Another tropical wave near the Cabo Verde Islands off the the coast of Africa was causing showers and thunderstorms.
Forecasters say environmental conditions may allow for development the next few days and a tropical depression could form over the Eastern Tropical Atlantic early next week.
The wave has a 40 percent chance of forming in the next 48 hours and a 60 percent chance in the next five days.