Tropical Depression Two formed in the Gulf Sunday morning
Tropical Depression Two is expected to become the second named system early this week.
Tropical Depression Two formed in the Gulf Sunday morning. It is crawling north northwest at 1 mph and producing winds of 30 mph. This will bring heavy rain to parts of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. No direct impacts are expected in Southwest Florida.
It is currently a tropical depression, but this storm will likely strengthen into a tropical storm late Sunday or early Monday. It would take the name Bertha. The latest cone shows the center of the storm taking a sharp turn west over the next few days. From there, the storm will likely move along the northern gulf coast.
A Tropical Storm watch has been issued for parts of the panhandle of Florida from the Ochlockee River to the Alabama border. Storm surge could be between 1 to 3 feet for portions of the Panhandle and the Big Bend.
Impact on Southwest Florida
No direct impacts are expected in Southwest Florida. While the system drifts northward, it will bring rounds of soaking rain to much of the state, including locally here along the Gulf Coast. On Sunday, minor flooding is possible in coastal neighborhoods due to the perpetual rain. Remember to never enter flood waters.
As more moisture filters into the region, Southwest Florida can expect slightly higher rain chances. Expect on-and-off again rain to filter through the Gulf Coast this weekend, though no one day will be a washout.
Tropical Milestones:
We usually see our second named storm form in the Atlantic by July 17. So we are currently on track for our statistical milestones. We usually don’t see our first hurricane form until August 11.
We are forecasted to see a below-average hurricane season this year. That is largely thanks to El Nino, which tends to suppress tropical activity in the Atlantic.
To reach tropical storm strength, a storm must produce sustained winds of at least 39 mph. To reach hurricane strength, sustained winds must be at least 74 mph.
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