The odds of a major rainstorm turning into a cyclone off the Florida coast have just quadrupled, hurricane forecasters warned Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center has updated their original predictions for a soaking storm that has already grounded flights along the East Coast, moving the chances that it develops into a dangerous cyclone from 10 percent to 40 percent this week.
According to AccuWeather, the cyclone, which would be named Dexter, is expected to make landfall in Florida by Tuesday afternoon, before rapidly barreling across the Gulf this week.
The cyclone is projected to start out as a tropical depression, with sustained winds under 38 mph. However, AccuWeather predicted it’ll quickly grow in strength once it reaches the Gulf, potentially strengthening into Tropical Storm Dexter.
The weather service added that potentially devastating storm surges of up to three feet could be seen in New Orleans by Wednesday night.
‘Regardless of classification, the storm will bring heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Louisiana and the central Gulf Coast,’ the AccuWeather team wrote in an urgent alert Tuesday morning.
Heavy thunderstorms along the entire East Coast due the tropical storm system already delayed thousands of flights on Monday, with ground stops issued at nearly a dozen major airports.
According to Flight Aware, over 1,400 flights have already been delayed as of 8:45 am ET Tuesday. More than 800 have been cancelled.
The odds of a major rainstorm turning into a tropical storm off the Florida coast have just quadrupled, hurricane forecasters warned Tuesday
The National Hurricane Center has updated their original predictions for a soaking storm that has already grounded flights along the East Coast, moving the chances that it develops into a dangerous cyclone from 10 percent to 40 percent this week
In Florida, the developing storm is projected to bring over four inches of rain to central and South Florida through Tuesday night.
Strong rip currents and rough rough surf will affect beaches throughout the region through Wednesday.
‘Businesses from Florida through the central Gulf Coast should prepare for shipping delays, flight disruptions and localized infrastructure strain. Flood-prone areas may have storm water management issues and short-notice closures as conditions evolve through Thursday,’ AccuWeather warned.
Dexter is projected to reach sustained wind speeds of 60 mph when it makes landfall in New Orleans tomorrow.
