Tropical Disturbances Today

Disturbance 1. Hurricane Milton is appears to be no threat to our area but sure is to Florida. Milton is rapidly strengthening and is currently located about 745 miles WSW of Tampa, Florida moving ESE at 8 MPH with 125 MPH maximum sustained winds. Milton is a category 3 hurricane. Further strengthening is expected, and Milton is forecast to become an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane later today and maintain that intensity for the next couple of days.  An eastward to east-southeastward motion is forecast through tonight, followed by a turn toward the east and northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday.  On the forecast track, Milton is forecast to approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday.

Disturbance 2. Hurricane Kirk is no threat to our area. Kirk is way out in the Atlantic and moving toward Europe with 75 MPH maximum sustained winds. Although gradual weakening is expected, Kirk is forecast tobecome a large and strong extratropical low during the next couple of days.

Disturbance 3. Hurricane Leslie is also not a threat to our area. Leslie is way out in the Atlantic packing 90 MPH maximum sustained winds. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Gradual weakening is forecast to commence soon and continue through the week.

Disturbance 4. Far Eastern Tropical Atlantic: A tropical wave is expected to move off the west coast of Africa in a few days.  Afterward, environmental conditions appear marginally favorable for some slow development of this system while it moves westward or west-northwestward across the eastern tropical Atlantic. The system is expected to move near or over the Cabo Verde Islands on Thursday or early Friday. Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent and formation chance through 7 days...low...30 percent.