Enjoy a dry day Tuesday, but get your umbrella handy Wednesday and keep it close through the weekend.
A system is brewing in the tropics and is expected to quickly develop into a tropical storm in the next day or two. While it’s on the other side of the state, Brevard County is still expected to feel the effects of what’s likely to become Hurricane Helene.
“Locally we’ll have heavy rainfall, high, gusty winds, especially in rain squalls and tornadoes are favorable because we will be on the east side of the system,” said Tim Sedlock, meteorologist with the National Weather Center in Melbourne. “As we get into Thursday, Thursday night, that would be the worst of the impact.”
Where is the system near the Gulf and where is it headed?
The system is moving northward across the northwestern Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Forecasters are predicting it could become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall, which could be on Florida’s Panhandle. Although there’s still a good bit of uncertainty since a center had not formed as of Monday afternoon.
Gulf Coast residents are urged to prepare now as the storm’s impact could arrive as early as Wednesday evening.
What does the tropical system mean for Brevard County?
While it’s too early to predict how much rain the system will bring to Brevard, Sedlock said to expect wet weather later this week through the weekend.
Rain squalls associated with the tropical system could bring gusts between 45 to 60 mph. Beachgoers and boaters also will need to take caution.
“Along the coast we’ll see some beach erosion, hazard boating conditions, rough surf and moderate to high rip current,” Sedlock said.
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Developing storm might be significant. What does it mean for Brevard?
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