Threat of New Florida Hurricane Rapidly Diminishing

The threat of a new round of stormy tropical weather is rapidly diminishing for central Florida as Tropical Storm Sara is now forecast to move ashore over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico where it is expected to dissipate.

Courtesy NOAA

Tropical Storm Sara, once predicted to become a powerful hurricane, is being weakened by interaction with land areas across Honduras, ElSalvador, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, where it is eventually expected to dissipate.

The storm had been predicted for more than a week in forecast models, but the changing conditions in the atmosphere that originally pointed it to Florida have now pushed it farther west.

After multiple rounds of hurricanes in what proved to be an active and destructive season, Floridians are generally relieved that the 2024 Hurricane season will officially end on November 30. Cooler water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, largely due to the passage of those storms, should prevent further development in that area.

The 2024 season had been predicted to be highly active and above normal due to the high water temperatures across the Atlantic basin, including the Gulf and Caribbean. Although water temperatures in the Caribbean remain quite warm, the cooler temperatures around Florida are now providing some protection from the storms.