Tropical Storm Sally - so far we have occasional wind here just south of Tampa. No rain yet. My aunt & uncle had torrential rain on the east coast near Palm Bay last evening.
NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center
...DEPRESSION BECOMES A TROPICAL STORM...
NHC has upgraded Tropical Depression Nineteen to Tropical Storm Sally, the 18th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Sally is the early appearance of the "S" named storm on record. The previous record was held by Stan on October 2, 2005.
A Tropical Storm Watch continues in effect for the Florida Panhandle from the Ochlockonee River to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area in the Florida Panhandle by Sunday night. Wind gusts to tropical-storm force are possible across southern portion of the Florida peninsula today, especially over the Florida Keys. A tornado or two is possible today and tonight over South Florida.
Interests elsewhere along the northern Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of this system. Tropical storm or hurricane watches, and storm surge watches, could be issued for a portion of that area later today. For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office -
www.weather.gov
At 2 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Sally was located about 35 miles (60 km) south-southeast of Naples. Sally is moving toward the west near 7 mph (11 km/h), and a turn toward the west-northwest is expected later today or tonight. A west-northwestward or northwestward motion is then expected during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center is forecast to move over the southeastern and eastern Gulf of Mexico later today and Sunday, and then move over the north-central Gulf of Mexico Sunday night and Monday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) south and southeast of the center, just to the south of the Florida Keys. Additional strengthening is expected to occur during the next couple of days, and Sally is forecast to become a hurricane by late Monday.
Sally is expected to produce total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches with isolated 8 inch amounts over the Florida Keys through tonight with 2 to 4 inches and isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches across southern Florida and the western Florida coast to the Tampa Bay metro area. This rainfall will produce flash and urban flooding across South Florida and prolong high flows and ongoing minor flooding on rivers across Central Florida. It's then expected to produce through Tuesday rainfall of 3 to 6 inches with localized amounts of 8 inches along the Gulf Coast from the Florida Peninsula to southeast Louisiana Sunday and 2 to 4 inches farther inland over far southern Alabama, Mississippi and southeast Louisiana. This is expected to be a slow-moving system that will likely continue to produce heavy rainfall and considerable flooding near the central Gulf Coast through the middle of next week. Flash, urban and rapid onset flooding along small streams and minor to isolated moderate flooding on rivers is likely.
The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 5 p.m. EDT -
www.hurricanes.gov