TROPICAL STORM EMILY FORMS WEST OF TAMPA BAY EARLY THIS MORNING
At 0600 EDT, the National Hurricane Center began issuing Advisories on Tropical Depression Six, that formed overnight from an area of low pressure in the eastern Gulf of Mexico approximately 100 miles west of Tampa Bay. At 0800, the National Hurricane Center found 45 MPH winds and upgraded Tropical Depression Six to Tropical Storm Emily.
At 0800 EDT, Tropical Storm Emily was located about 45 miles west-southwest of Tampa or about 50 miles west-northwest of Sarasota. The maximum sustained winds are at 45 MPH and were located in the south side of the storm and movement was toward the east at 8 MPH. The minimum center pressure was about 29.71 inches of mercury. A Tropical Storm Warning is currently in effect for coastal Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
To quote the National Hurricane Center, “The primary threat with this system is expected to be locally heavy rainfall across portions of the Florida peninsula during the next couple of days. However, an isolated waterspout will also be possible in the coastal waters within the warning area.”
Please stay tuned to the latest advisories from the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service Office in Ruskin, which covers all of the West Central Florida Section. Also any ARES, ACS, or CERT, or SKYWARN amateur radio operators should be ready to activate in the highly unlikely event they are requested to do so by their served agencies.
END OF SPECIAL BULLETIN
