JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tropical Storm Eta became a tropical storm again Saturday morning south of Cuba. As it moves northward rain will increas across south Florida and eventually boost rain in NEFLA Monday. The track is into the Gulf but it will accentuate the NE winds adding vigor to Mondays local Nor’easter when winds could gust to 40 mph in Duval through Flagler counties at the coast.
At 10 a.m., Eta was located near latitude 19.6 North, longitude 81.8 West moving toward the northeast near 17 mph (28 km/h). An east-northeast to northeast motion is expected through early Sunday. A turn toward the north and northwest are expected by Sunday afternoon. On the forecast track, the center of Eta will approach the Cayman Islands later today, be near central Cuba tonight and Sunday, and near the Florida Keys or south Florida Sunday night and Monday.
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Maximum sustained winds are now near 40 mph Eta is near the Cayman Islands with 35 mph winds. It will move across Cuba and will cross the island and target the Florida Keys Sunday. A tropical Storm Watch covers south Florida and up the east coast stopping at Volusia county.
Once the system crosses Cuba, models suggest it will near the southern tip of Florida, then veer into the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf storm surge could reach 2-3 feet around Marco Island and the Florida Keys.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for south Florida from Golden Beach to Chokoloskee, including Florida Bay, as well as for the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas.
A Tropical Storm Watch is now in effect along the Florida east coast north of Sebastien Inlet to the Brevard/Volusia county line.
A Tropical Storm Watch is now in effect for the Florida west coast north of Bonita Beach to Englewood.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Interactive map
A week of rain spoiled crops, washed away bridges and flooded homes across Central America. Hurricane Eta’s arrival Tuesday afternoon in northeast Nicaragua followed days of drenching rain as it crawled toward shore. Its slow, meandering path north through Honduras pushed rivers over their banks and pouring into neighborhoods where families were forced onto rooftops to wait for rescue.