Weather

FOX 13 Meteorologist Tony Sadiku is closely monitoring Hurricane Idalia as it moves toward Florida. He says the winds are stronger and the pressure is dropping, which means it will likely intensify to a category 2 storm and then reach category 3, close to category 4 status before making landfall in the Big Bend Area Wednesday morning. He encourages residents to be done with their hurricane preps by 7 p.m. on Tuesday because the Bay Area should begin feeling the effects of the storm Tuesday evening. He adds that Hurricane Idalia?s path has not changed and says even though he doesn?t expect us to get a direct hit from Hurricane Idalia, the Bay Area can expect a 4?7-foot storm surge with counties close to the Big Bend area seeing a storm surge of 10-12 feet.

Meteorologist Tony Sadiku

FOX 13 Meteorologist Tony Sadiku says Hurricane Idalia will strengthen as wind shear weakens and it moves over very warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Sadiku says Hurricane Idalia has picked up speed and as of noon on Tuesday was moving north at 14 miles an hour. He expects Hurricane Idalia to become a category 2 storm when it is off the coast of the Bay Area and then reach category 3 strength before it makes landfall in the Big Bend. At this point Sadiku says he does not expect the track to shift much as it moves north. He did caution that while the Bay Area is not in Hurricane Idalia?s direct path, we are on the east side of a storm that will have winds of 120 miles per hour, putting it just under category 4 strength. That means the Bay Area is likely to see a storm surge of 4-7 feet, with a storm surge of 10-15 feet for the northern counties.

Hurricane Idalia formed in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday morning and is expected to rapidly intensify before making landfall near Cedar Key Wednesday morning.

Meteorologist Dave Osterberg

Tropical Storm Idalia is nearing hurricane strength as it approaches Western Cuba. The storm is forecast to become a major hurricane ahead of making landfall in Florida.

Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto

FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber continues to watch Tropical Storm Idalia as it begins to strengthen. He says it is currently a tropical storm, but it is expected to become a hurricane Monday night or Tuesday morning and intensify as it moves along warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane warning is in place from Longboat Key through the Big Bend Area. As of 11 a.m., Idalia has wind of 65 miles an hour. He cautions Floridians to pay attention to the forecast cone and not the center line of the storm because any jog in the forecast will change the impact to the Bay Area. Southern counties on the west coast of Florida will begin to see tropical storm-force winds beginning Tuesday evening, while the rest of the area experience the winds Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. A storm surge of 4-7 feet is also likely in Tampa Bay.

Meteorologist Jim Weber

Tropical Storm Idalia tracks towards Florida and is expected to become a major hurricane, meteorologist Dave Osterberg says. Here's what the Tampa Bay area can expect.