Tropical Storm Debby approaches Florida; intense heat building again

Your Mobile - Pensacola - Gulf Coast Area Weather Forecast for August 4, 2024 — Tracking Debby — We continue to track Tropical Storm Debby as it approaches the coast of Florida. The storm is expected to pass to our east with minimal local impacts. We will be on the dry side of the storm, with a northerly wind and lower rain chances into next week. Temperatures will soar by mid-week to near 100 degrees under the drier conditions. SUNDAY: Sunday will be another very hot day with highs in the mid-90s. Heat index values will climb to around 110 degrees in many areas, and a heat advisory has been issued. The heat advisory is valid from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. During the hottest part of the day, we will likely see the development of scattered showers and storms. These storms will move from north to south due to Tropical Storm Debby. Short-lived heavy downpours can be expected, and rain chances for Sunday are around 40 percent. Most showers will dissipate later in the day. THE WEEK AHEAD: As Debby sits to our east over the coming days, we will see a persistent northerly flow, bringing in drier air. Rain chances will be low all week, and temperatures will soar with the lack of rain. Highs will likely reach the triple digits mid-week, and heat indices will stay around 110. The heat looks to last into next weekend, when we are forecasting highs in the upper 90s and partly cloudy skies. TRACKING DEBBY: Tropical Storm Debby is gradually strengthening over the Gulf of Mexico. The storm will move north in the eastern Gulf before making landfall near the Big Bend region of Florida on Sunday night or Monday morning. Debby is expected to become a hurricane before landfall, and hurricane warnings have been issued. KEY MESSAGES: - All direct impacts from this storm will be well east of the FOX10 viewing area. Our local concern is rough surf late this weekend and early next week. - The storm is expected to move slowly across Florida and coastal areas of the Southeast this weekend and into next week, causing heavy rainfall and potentially catastrophic flooding. - Storm surge is expected along the entire Florida Gulf Coast, with the highest surge numbers near where the storm makes landfall. some areas can expect up to 10 feet of surge. - Debby is expected to become a hurricane before landfall, bringing hurricane-force winds to portions of the Florida Gulf Coast and Big Bend regions. Hurricane warnings have been posted and residents in these areas should be prepared for hurricane conditions. STORM TIMING: The National Hurricane Center forecasts the storm to be around 100 miles off the coast of Tampa, Florida, on Sunday afternoon/evening. The storm is then expected to approach the Big Bend of Florida on Sunday night and make landfall Monday morning. At this point, steering currents around the storm will weaken, causing a significant slowing of forward motion. This system will gradually move across Florida on Monday and Tuesday, possibly emerging over the Atlantic Ocean. The system may stall in this area, causing prolonged heavy rain and flooding. The storm should linger near the Georgia or South Carolina coast through Thursday or Friday. #FLWX #Debby #Tropics — — — — — FOX10 METEOROLOGIST NICHOLAS HERBOSO: Nicholas Herboso is the newest member of the FOX10 StormTracker Team. He comes to FOX10 from the University of South Alabama, where he studied broadcast meteorology and minored in music. Nicholas is a native of Fairhope, AL, and is proud to call the Gulf Coast home. He was motivated to pursue a career in weather broadcasting after living through multiple hurricanes on the Gulf Coast and watching the coverage from local meteorologists like John Edd Thompson, especially after watching their coverage of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. Past extreme weather events got Nicholas interested in weather early on. For him, weather is a passion that he is excited to share with viewers. — — — — — FOLLOW NICHOLAS: Twitter - twitter.com/KNBHwx Instagram - www.instagram.com/knbhwx/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/KnbhWX Email - [email protected] — — — — —

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