Miami, Fla. (970 WFLA)-At 11:00 AM, the center of Tropical Storm Emily was located near latitude 27.6 North, longitude 82.8 West.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from the Anclote River to Bonita Beach. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are likely within the warning area, in this case within the next few hours.
Emily is moving toward the east near 9 mph and this general motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed are expected by tonight and Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the center of Emily is expected to move inland over the the west-central Florida peninsula this afternoon, and move across central Florida through tonight.
Emily is forecast to move offshore of the east-central Florida coast Tuesday morning.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast until landfall occurs this afternoon. Emily is expected to weaken to a tropical depression while it moves across the Florida peninsula later today and tonight.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb (29.68 inches).
RAINFALL: Emily is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches through Monday night along the west coast of central Florida between the Tampa Bay area and Naples, with isolated amounts up to 8 inches possible. Elsewhere across central and south Florida,1 to 2 inches of rain is expected with localized amounts of up to 4 inches possible. Reports from amateur radio operators indicate that street and road flooding has already been occurring in Manatee and Sarasota Counties near the Myakka River.
WIND: Tropical storm conditions are likely within the warning area through this afternoon.
TORNADOES: A brief tornado could occur across the central and southern Florida Peninsula today, with isolated waterspouts possible over the coastal waters of southwestern Florida.