TROPICS: Dorian Upgraded to Category 5 Hurricane

                                               
               

 

 

 

UPDATED 8:12 AM ET Sep. 01, 2019                

 

  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dorian has been upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane as it approaches the northern islands of the Bahamas. 

 

 

Winds are now at 160 mph. This will be catastrophic for parts of the Northern Bahamas from Marsh Harbor eastward to Freeport as Dorian stalls. 

 

 

• Dorian's winds remained at 150 mph late Saturday
• Pressure dropped slightly, which indicates strengthening
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Dorian is about 35 miles east of Great Abaco Island. It was about 255 miles east of West Palm Beach as of early Sunday morning. The storm's pressure had dropped just slightly to 934 mb. The current forecast calls for Dorian to be off the Treasure Coast later Tuesday afternoon into the evening. The center is still expected to stay to the east of Florida.

 

 

Dorian is the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic in 2019. There have only been 18 category 4 or 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic in August since the beginning of the satellite era in 1966.

 

 

A hurricane warning is in effect for

 

 

• Northwestern Bahamas excluding Andros Island

A hurricane watch is in effect for

• Andros Island

A tropical storm warning is in effect for

• Deerfield Beach to Sebastian Inlet (Roughly from Boca Raton to just north of Vero Beach)

A tropical storm watch is in effect for 

• North of Golden Beach to Deerfield Beach

 

 

 

The first island of the Bahamas that Dorian will hit is Great Abaco, followed by Little Abaco, and Grand Bahama. Freeport is the largest city on Grand Bahama. This will take place today. 

 

 

Since Dorian is small, the exact location still in question will determine the exact impact on those locations. It is likely that some part of the northen Bahama islands will see major hurricane conditions with winds over 130 mph and extreme storm surge. 

 

 

As Dorian slows down today and basically stalls for about 12-24 hours, it will then get pulled northward. The exact location and timing of that eventual turn to the north is still in question. But, most indications are that the center of Dorian will remain off the East Coast of Florida. 

 

 

It could be close enough to the coast that on Tuesday into Wednesday some areas from the middle part of the East Coast northward could see moderate to high end tropical storm conditions and possibly hurricane force gusts. 

 

 

North of the circulation, the strong east wind will lead some storm surge and coastal flooding issues on the East Coast. 

 

 

 

 

For the Tampa Bay Area, we are expecting a few gusty showers to pass through from time to time on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

 

 

The farther east in our area, Polk County, the gustier the wind will be with those showers. But, these winds should still remain below tropical storm force sustained wind. Otherwise, the weather in the Tampa Bay Area should be quiet and no real impact from the storm are expected. 

 

 

After Dorian parallels the East Coast, it will get dangerously close to the Carolina Coast as it begins to turn more northeastward. It will likely either hug the coast of South and North Carolina, come just inland, or remain just offshore. Either way, the coastal regions of the Carolinas could experience hurricane conditions on Thursday into Friday before Dorian moves out to sea.

 

 

 

 

SOURCE

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2019/08/30/tropics--dorian-could-reach-category-3-strength-on-Friday