Tampa Bay remains inside Tropical Storm Dorian’s forecast cone; late Saturday landfall possible for Florida

LATEST UPDATE: Tropical Storm Dorian gathering strength, could hit Florida as Category 2 hurricane

The Tampa Bay area is inside the five-day forecast cone for Tropical Storm Dorian, which could make landfall on the east coast of Florida late Saturday or Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

While a great deal of uncertainty remains about the storm’s future track and intensity, it is expected to bring considerable wind and rain to the state later this week and weekend.

“Take time now to prepare a hurricane emergency kit,” the hurricane center said. “Don’t wait until a warning is issued and the stores are empty or closed. Prepare an emergency plan and make sure every member of your family knows what to do if they aren’t home when an emergency is declared.”

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dorian was located about 70 miles west-northwest of Martinique and continuing to move to the west-northwest at 13 mph toward Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm is expected to make a northwest turn on Wednesday.

Dorian brought tropical storm conditions to portions of the Lesser Antilles throughout the early afternoon, where tropical storm watches and warnings were in effect. Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches is expected from Martinique to St. Vincent, with as much as 10 inches possible, on Tuesday night.

Tropical storm conditions are expected and hurricane conditions are possible for Puerto Rico on Wednesday, where a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch have been issued. Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches with maximum totals of 6 inches are possible across Puerto Rico and St. Croix.

The Dominican Republic has issued a tropical storm warning from Isla Saona to Samana.

Dorian is projected to move across the eastern and northeastern Caribbean Sea during the next few days, passing near or south of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, near or over eastern Hispaniola — which includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti — Wednesday night and north of Hispaniola on Thursday. Its center is forecast to move near the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas on Thursday night and Friday.

2019 Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide

HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane

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