Nate weakens to tropical depression; thunderstorms possible later Sunday

Heavy rain, lightning expected Sunday in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – Weather in Central Florida Sunday will be similar to Saturday's.

"The first half of the day will have a mix of clouds and sunshine," News 6 meteorologist Samara Cokinos said. "Temperatures will reach the low 90s again today, but keep in mind it's very humid out there so it will feel like the triple digits."

Late in the day, thunderstorms will occur and could produce heavy rain and lightning. The storms will start to slow down later Sunday night. Lows will linger in the mid-70s. 

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Nate was downgraded to a tropical depression Sunday morning, according to the latest National Hurricane Center advisory.

The storm, which made landfall twice in the U.S. Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane, has been steadily declining in force. The storm's maximum sustained winds have fallen to 35 mph as it continues to move further inland, the advisory said.

Nate weakened to a tropical storm Sunday morning as it moved inland over Mississippi and Alabama, the National Hurricane Center said, adding that storm surge flooding continued in coastal areas.

The storm's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 45 mph, the center said. It was about 50 miles east-southeast of Meridian, Mississippi, and 95 miles west-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama.

Nate made its second US landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, shortly after midnight local time Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane.

Hours earlier the storm had made its first US landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River in southeast Louisiana, with winds of 85 mph the hurricane center reported Saturday night.

It was the first hurricane to make landfall in Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Nate triggered hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge warnings across a swath of Gulf states, as residents braced for the third hurricane to hit the US mainland in six weeks.

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"It's still laying down heavy rain," Cokinos said. "Flooding concerns continue for Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee as the system races to the northeast." 

Drier air will move in behind Nate, bringing rain coverage down through the upcoming week. 

CNN contributed to this report.


About the Author

Emmy Award Winning Meteorologist Samara Cokinos joined the News 6 team in September 2017. In her free time, she loves running and being outside.

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