Local Weather: Look for a mix of sun and clouds with scattered afternoon storms through Friday. Over the weekend, seasonal summer weather is expected. We will start off with bright sunshine and at best deal with a few isolated inland storms in the afternoons going into Labor Day.

Hermine is looking healthier on satellite imagery and a hurricane hunter aircraft was out investigating it earlier this morning determining it is stronger. The official forecast track is suggesting Hermine “could” become a hurricane before making landfall tonight into Friday morning over the Big Bend area of Florida. This would make Hermine the first hurricane in 11 years to hit Florida since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It will move through Georgia and the Carolina’s as a tropical storm this weekend, then into the western Atlantic Ocean falling apart early next week.

For now, the primary impacts will be damaging winds and isolated tornadoes starting this afternoon for portions of central Florida. Heavy rainfall is expected and the storm could produce 5 to 10 inches around portions of northwest Florida and southern Georgia through Friday, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches. However, the combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry area near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. There is a danger of life-threatening inundation within the next 12 to 24 hours along the Gulf coast of Florida from Aripeka to Indian Pass. Some areas along the Panhandle can see storm surge of 5-8 feet.

Gaston is slowly weakening while it moves towards the western Azores. A tropical storm watch and warning is in effect. It is expected to become a tropical storm be early Friday before it reaches the Azores.

A tropical wave over the eastern Atlantic Ocean located about 700 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. It is producing limited shower activity and has a low chance to form once it nears the Lesser Antilles early next week.

Have a great day South Florida and make it a safe one!

Vivian Gonzalez

Meteorologist, AMS Certified

WSVN Channel 7

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