UPDATE: Hurricane Warning Now in Effect for Portion of Florida West Coast

Heavy rains southeast Polk and the Ridge area may be accompanied by gusty winds on Sunday and Monday as Tropical Storm Debby. currently located near Cuba will affect Florida's weather. The current forecast keeps the center of newly-designated Tropical Storm Debby away from the Tampa Bay area over the Gulf, reaching the coast only in the Big Bend area.

Courtesy NOAA

National Hurricane Center forecasters are predicting likely development of a tropical cyclone very near Florida by Sunday morning. Residents are advised to monitor the progress of the system and update their hurricane preparedness plans.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami is projecting that the Debby will reach Hurricane strength as it passes over the very warm waters of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend area before slowing down, possibly moving out over the Atlantic before turning back to strike the southeastern US.

The slow-to-develop system has traveled from the central Atlantic Ocean on a generally west and northwest track. A break in teh ridge to the north is inviting the northward turn of the system into the very warm environment of the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The storm is expected draw copious volumes of water vapor from the tropics with its counter-clockwise winds. The eastern or right side of tropical storms and hurricanes is most often where the heaviest rains fall. Rounds of heavy rain have already passed through the Ridge area, leaving an inch in 40 minutes at the Lake Wales News weather station the non hour on Saturday.

Southeastern Polk County has already seen repeated rounds of hit-or-miss thunderstorms in recent weeks, typical of the summer monsoon season here. An isolated tornado and numerous lightning strikes have caused scattered damage.

Courtesy NOAA

Remarkably hot water temperatures in the northeast Gulf of Mexico are expected to fuel the development of a new tropical storm system early next week. Any system forming over such very warm water will have a significant chance of rapid intensification.

The 2024 Hurricane season, although off to a slower-than-expected start, has already seen a Category Five monster, Hurricane Beryl, that claimed lives and property from the Lesser Antilles and Mexico in early July before carving a destructive and deadly path from Texas to New England.

Beryl originated near the Cabo Verde island chain just west of Mexico, alarming meteorologists due to it's unusually early start. That area is not normally active for storm formation until August and September when it typically spawns powerful hurricanes.

The Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Florida residents should always have a Hurricane plan and critical supplies on hand in case of emergencies.