Miami, Fla. (970 WFLA)- At 8:00 AM, the center of Tropical Storm Emily was located near latitude 27.7 North, longitude 83.2 West.
Emily is moving toward the east near 8 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the northeast and an increase in forward speed are expected tonight or Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the center of Emily is expected to move inland over the the west-central Florida peninsula later today and move across central Florida through tonight. Emily is expected to move offshore of the east-central Florida coast early Tuesday.
NOAA Doppler radar data from Tampa, Florida, indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to 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 tonight.Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km)from the center.The estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 mb (29.71 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.
WIND: Tropical storm conditions are likely within the warning area through this afternoon.