WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tropical Depression 10 formed near the Yucatan Peninsula on Saturday with a high chance of becoming a tropical storm on Sunday and a hurricane on Tuesday as Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency from Fort Myers to the Panhandle.
This is occurring as Franklin strengthened into the second hurricane of the season on Saturday morning, joining Don. Franklin could become a major hurricane early next week. Swells from Franklin will start to impact Bermuda as early as Sunday night
The depression was about 55 miles northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 35 The movement was southwest at 2 mpn.
Models show the depression, which was formerly Invest 93L, pushing into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, then it's expected to strengthen into a tropical storm before making landfall somewhere near the Big Bend area or Panhandle of Florida by Wednesday.
The depression is likely to meander near the Yucatan Channel through early Monday.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 33 of the state's 67 counties.
"The Governor and the Florida Division of Emergency Management are taking timely precautions to ensure Florida’s communities, infrastructure and resources are prepared, including those communities that are still recovering following Hurricane Ian," a news release said.
DeSantis said: “I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked."
The conties are Alachua, Bay, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, DeSosoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardy, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayatte, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla.
“I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked,"DeSantis said.
Also, Attorney General Ashley Moody acivated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline to receive reports of extreme price increases on essential commodities needed to prepare for the storm. Florida’s price gouging law only applies to items and services essential for use during the storm, including getting ready for or recovering from a storm, within the areas of a declared state of emergency.
While computer models keep the center of the storm away from South Florida, we're still going to feel impacts.
Moisture increases by the middle of the work week and showers and storms will be likely.
Some of the storms that do develop could produce heavy downpours, gusty winds and the potential for some isolated tornadoes.
The worst of the weather for our area will be Wednesday and Thursday.
The weather could remain pretty unsettled through the end of the work week, but improving weather conditions by next weekend as the storm pulls away from Florida.
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Hurricane Franklin is forecast to strengthen into a Category 3 storm over the western Atlantic by Sunday night and a Category 4 by Monday night.
While this system will stay away from the U.S., it will create high waves, rough surf and a high threat of rip currents will impact the east coast of the U.S.
Folks living in Bermuda should monitor Franklin as it could have more impacts on their weather.
In the 11 p.m. advisory, Franklin was about 250 miles northeast of Grand Turk Island and about 615 miles south-southwest of Bermuda with sustained winds of 85 mph. Franklin was traveling northwest at 8 mph.
We also have a broad area of low pressure in the Central Atlantic associated with Invest 92L with a 20% chance of tropical development over the next seven days. Development is becoming less likely as it moves northwestward.
A wave will emerge off the coast of Africa early next week where it has a 20% chance of formation over the next seven days.
