ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto, both moving through the Atlantic and bringing changes to the local weather picture.
Imelda continues to produce tropical storm conditions across parts of the Bahamas, while Hurricane Humberto remains nearby, acting as a strong Category 4 system.
Imelda is expected to maintain a path parallel to the Florida coast through early this week. While the main center of the storm isn’t forecast to make landfall, indirect impacts, especially along the shoreline, are likely. These include gusty winds and higher-than-normal surf. Imelda may strengthen into a hurricane by Tuesday afternoon, with winds possibly reaching 75 mph.
Humberto, classified as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum winds near 145 mph, is moving northwest at about 13 mph. News 6’s Michelle Morgan explains Humberto will stay mostly west of Bermuda and is expected to weaken later in the week as it heads farther out into the Atlantic.
A high surf advisory will be in place from early Monday through early Thursday for coastal counties.
Expect rough surf, strong rip currents, and breaking waves that could reach 12 feet in some areas. There’s also a wind advisory for many coastal spots from Monday morning through Tuesday morning, with sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph and potentially even stronger gusts.
If you have outdoor furniture or other items that could blow around, it’s a good idea to secure them ahead of these windy conditions. The highest risks and advisories are focused along the coast, where the effects of these systems are expected to be felt the most.
Short-term and weekly weather outlook
Isolated showers and a few thunderstorms are in the forecast for early Monday, mainly for communities along the I-95 corridor. These fast-moving bands could bring brief periods of heavy rain, but totals are expected to stay modest. Coastal areas could see between 1 to 2 inches, with up to 1 inch for places like Sanford and Leesburg, and less than a quarter inch around Orlando, The Villages, and Ocala.
Looking ahead, Monday’s high will reach 88 degrees with a 50% chance of rain and breezy, windy conditions sticking around. Tuesday will stay in the upper 80s, with a slight chance for rain and continued gusty winds. The middle of the week is expected to turn quieter and drier, but rain chances climb again heading toward Friday and the weekend.
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