Tropical Storm Nate continues to intensify as it grazes the eastern Yucatan Peninsula.
- Tropical Storm Nate showing signs that it's intensifying
- Hurricane watches, warnings up along Gulf Coast
- Forecast to have little effect on Central Florida
- SEE BELOW: Spectrum News 13's interactive storm tracker ▼
The latest position has it about 90 miles northeast of Cozumel, Mexico. Models remain in good agreement that this system will stay well to the west of Central Florida.
Nate is moving to the north-northwest at 22 mph with sustained winds of 65 mph. The central minimum pressure is 990 mb.
Tropical-storm force winds extend 125 miles from the center, mainly in the eastern section of the storm.
On this forecast track, the system will move across to near the northeastern coast of the Yucatan peninsula this evening, before moving into the southern Gulf of Mexico overnight. It will then approach the northern Gulf coast Saturday, aiming for the northern Gulf coast Saturday night or early Sunday.
Hurricane warnings have now been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including the New Orleans Metropolitan area. Tropical Storm Warnings are also in effect for parts of central Louisiana and the western panhandle of Florida.
A hurricane warning is in effect for:
- Grand Isle Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border
- Metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain
A storm surge warning is in effect for:
- Morgan City Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border
- Northern and western shores of Lake Pontchartrain
A tropical storm warning is in effect for:
- Punta Herrero to Rio Lagartos Mexico
- Pinar del Rio
- Metropolitan New Orleans
- West of Grand Isle to Morgan City Louisiana
- East of the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line
A hurricane watch is in effect for:
- Punta Herrero to Rio Lagartos Mexico
- Metropolitan New Orleans
- Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas
- West of Grand Isle to Morgan City Louisiana
A storm surge watch is in effect for:
- East of the Alabama/Florida border to Indian Pass Florida
A tropical storm watch is in effect for:
- East of the Okaloosa/Walton County Line to Indian Pass Florida
- West of Morgan City to Intracoastal City Louisiana
- Isle of Youth
While there is still some uncertainty over exactly where landfall will occur, models keep the greatest impacts along the central Gulf Coast. Rain and wind will extend far from the storm’s center, so impacts are likely in the western Florida panhandle.
Impacts to the rest of Florida, including Central Florida, look minimal at this time.
High pressure overhead and a cold front sweeping into the central U.S. will play a role in steering this system.
Aside from a weak system in the open Atlantic to the southwest of the Azores, no tropical formation is expected in the next five days.
