The first tropical system of the year has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Andrea is heading for the Gulf Coast of Florida and will bring drenching rain to a large part of the Eastern Seaboard. The storm was packing winds of 40 mph Wednesday night, making it a minimal tropical storm. The biggest threat from the storm is for flooding rain instead of strong winds. There will also be coastal flooding due to a minor storm surge on the Florida Gulf Coast. Isolated tornadoes are possible as the storm moves inland over Florida. By the time the system reaches the Northeast it’s only threat will be heavy rain that could produce street, river, and stream flooding Friday night into early Saturday.
You can keep an eye on any tropical system this season using the Right Weather interactive hurricane tracker.
From the National Hurricane Center:
BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM ANDREA ADVISORY NUMBER 2 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012013 1000 PM CDT WED JUN 05 2013 ...HEAVY RAIN OCCURRING ALONG THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA AS ANDREA MOVES NORTHWARD... SUMMARY OF 1000 PM CDT...0300 UTC...INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------- LOCATION...26.0N 86.3W ABOUT 270 MI...430 KM WSW OF TAMPA FLORIDA ABOUT 270 MI...430 KM SSW OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 10 DEGREES AT 6 MPH...9 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1002 MB...29.59 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM BOCA GRANDE TO OCHLOCKNEE RIVER A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * FLAGLER BEACH FLORIDA TO SURF CITY NORTH CAROLINA A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 1000 PM CDT...0300 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ANDREA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.3 WEST. ANDREA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/H. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY A FURTHER INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ANDREA WILL REACH THE COAST OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AREA THURSDAY EVENING AND THEN MOVE FROM SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM FROM THE CENTER. NOAA BUOY 42003 RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 42 MPH...68 KM/H. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...BASED ON DATA FROM NOAA BUOY 42003...IS 1002 MB...29.59 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- STORM SURGE...THE COMBINATION OF A STORM SURGE AND THE TIDE WILL CAUSE NORMALLY DRY AREAS NEAR THE COAST TO BE FLOODED BY RISING WATERS. THE WATER COULD REACH THE FOLLOWING HEIGHTS ABOVE GROUND IF THE PEAK SURGE OCCURS AT THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE... TAMPA BAY NORTHWARD TO APALACHICOLA...2 TO 4 FT FLORIDA WEST COAST SOUTH OF TAMPA BAY...1 TO 2 FT THE DEEPEST WATER WILL OCCUR ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST NEAR AND TO THE SOUTH OF THE LANDFALL LOCATION. SURGE-RELATED FLOODING DEPENDS ON THE RELATIVE TIMING OF THE SURGE AND THE TIDAL CYCLE...AND CAN VARY GREATLY OVER SHORT DISTANCES. FOR INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE SEE PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. RAINFALL...ANDREA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER MUCH OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...EASTERN PARTS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...AND SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES POSSIBLE. TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE ALSO EXPECTED OVER EASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO FIRST REACH THE COAST WITHIN THE WARNING AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...MAKING OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. TORNADOES...A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH THE GREATEST POTENTIAL EXPECTED ON THURSDAY.
