TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Idalia strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane early Tuesday and is expected to rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico.
As of a 2 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said Idalia is about 240 miles southwest of Tampa, moving north around 15 mph. The storm’s wind speeds have increased to “near 90 mph.” Category 2 hurricanes are storms with wind speeds between 96-110 mph.
Idalia is forecast to track west of Tampa and make landfall along the northwest Gulf Coast of Florida sometime on Wednesday as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 major hurricane, to the NHC said.
Storm surge remains the biggest threat with Idalia, with some areas north of Tampa Bay expected to see 8 to 15 feet of storm surge, with 4 to 7 feet in the Tampa Bay area and 3 to 5 feet south of Tampa Bay.
The storm surge threat is increased thanks to higher-than-normal high tides due to Wednesday’s Super Moon.
A hurricane warning is in effect for most of the Florida Gulf Coast from Gulf County to the south end of Sarasota County, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The outer bands are expected to arrive in the Tampa Bay area in the late afternoon but will become more frequent and intense by midnight. The worst weather will be between Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon.
Most of the tornados will happen Tuesday night, while the biggest storm surge for the Tampa Bay area will happen Wednesday morning.
Idalia Resources
- Evacuations and Shelters
- How to Find Your Evacuation Zone
- School Closures
- Wednesday’s High Tide Times
- Sandbag Locations
Watch WFLA Now’s 24/7 coverage to stay up-to-date on Idalia. Get the latest on closings and weather conditions in your area on our Tracking the Tropics page.