ORLANDO, Fla. – What was Invest 93L as of Saturday morning soon became Tropical Depression 10, then Tropical Storm Idalia by 11:15 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
While development over the weekend was expected to be slow, the storm could strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico into Monday.
[CONE, MODELS, MORE: SEE THE LATEST ON TROPICAL STORM IDALIA BY CLICKING HERE]
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in 33 counties ahead of the system’s potential impact.
The storm will be interacting with land over the next couple of days, which will tend to keep the storm weak and unorganized.
By Monday, an upper-level low will dig into the western Gulf of Mexico, launching the disturbance off of the Yucatán Peninsula.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
By Wednesday, impacts could be felt across parts of Florida. At this point, it is unclear how strong the storm will get or where exactly it will come ashore. Current expectations have it making landfall near the Big Bend as a Category 1 hurricane.
Hurricane Hunters may investigate the storm itself and the environment across the Gulf of Mexico Sunday.
This will provide forecasters with critical data as to how strong the storm could get.
Water temperatures are near 90 degrees in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
The storm is also expected to cross the loop current, a ribbon of extremely warm and deep water that tends to rapidly fuel storms.
The storm being slow to initially organize and some mid-level dry air may help to keep the storm lopsided for a good portion of its life. This will tend to keep the storm on the weaker side.
Hurricane Hunter data late in the weekend and next week will help to determine how favorable or unfavorable the environment is for hurricane development.
At this stage it is important to review your storm plan, as development, strengthening and a potential landfall could happen within a 48 hour period, from Monday to Wednesday.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: