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Tampa weather | Wednesday morning forecast
FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg says Wednesday will have more widespread rain with a high temperature of 82 degrees.
TAMPA, Fla. - Tropical Storm Isaias formed Wednesday morning in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it moves toward the Northern Gulf Coast.
Tropical storm forms in Gulf
What we know:
Tropical Storm Isaias developed Wednesday morning about 285 miles west of Progreso, Mexico, packing sustained winds of 40 mph.
The storm is moving east-northeast at eight miles per hour.
What we don't know:
Forecasters are still tracking the exact path and final intensity before landfall. It remains uncertain how quickly wind shear will weaken the storm within 24 hours of reaching the coast.
Tracking potential Gulf Coast impact
Timeline:
The storm is expected to turn northward over the next couple of days, driven by a trough to its west and high pressure to its east.
It is forecast to approach land late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Local perspective:
FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg expects the system to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, with the potential to reach Category 2 or Category 3 strength.
Osterberg projects landfall just west of the Florida Panhandle near Mobile Bay, Alabama, while noting that neither New Orleans nor Panama City is currently in the forecast cone.
Preparing for coastal hazards
Why you should care:
The eastern side of the storm is expected to bring storm surge and a risk of tornadoes to coastal areas as it makes landfall.
Coastal residents from the Florida Panhandle to the Mississippi-Louisiana border are advised to implement their hurricane preparation plans.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg, who provided forecast updates and weather analysis on Tropical Storm Isaias.