Tropical Storm Sally is in water 84-86 degrees in the Gulf of Mexico to the west of the Florida peninsula and is strengthening.
The National Hurricane Center had aircraft up Sunday morning and clocked winds around 50 miles an hour as the storm crawls to the west and north at 13 miles an hour.
Sally will travel over water on Monday, a decrease in forward speed anticipated.
Sally is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday and could possibly be a Category 1 or 2 hurricane when it makes landfall early Tuesday along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and the Florida panhandle.
This is the Sunday 5am report from the National Hurricane Center.
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
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CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
A Storm Surge Warning has been issued from Port Fourchon Louisiana to Mississippi/Alabama Border.
A Hurricane Warning has been issued from Grand Isle Louisiana northeast to Ocean Springs Mississippi, including New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.
A Hurricane Watch has been issued from east of Morgan City Louisiana to west of Grand Isle.
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from east of Ocean Springs Mississippi to Indian Pass Florida.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...* Port Fourchon Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama Border
* Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Borgne
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Grand Isle Louisiana to Ocean Springs Mississippi
* Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas including metropolitan New Orleans
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
* Mississippi/Alabama Border to the Alabama/Florida Border
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* East of Ocean Springs to the Alabama/Florida Border
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* East of Ocean Springs to Indian Pass
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Indian Pass to Ochlockonee River Florida
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
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At 500 AM EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Sally was located near latitude 27.0 North, longitude 84.0 West. Sally is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h), and a west-northwestward or northwestward motion is expected through Monday. A decrease in forward speed and a turn toward the north-northwest is forecast on Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Sally will move over the southeastern and eastern Gulf of Mexico today, move over the north-central Gulf of Mexico tonight and Monday, and approach the north-central Gulf Coast within the hurricane watch area late Monday and Tuesday.
Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts.Further strengthening is expected over the next couple of days, and Sally is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday, with some additional strengthening possible through early Tuesday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km) from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1001 mb (29.56 inches).
WIND:Hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area starting late Monday, with hurricane conditions possible within the hurricane watch area by early Tuesday. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area by Monday, and within the warning area late Monday.
RAINFALL:Tropical Storm Sally is expected to produce additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches with isolated amounts of 6 inches across southern and central Florida through Monday. This rainfall will produce flash and urban flooding and prolong high flows and ongoing minor flooding on rivers across Central Florida.
Tropical Storm Sally is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches with isolated amounts of 20 inches over portions of the Central Gulf Coast between the western Florida Panhandle and far southeast Louisiana from Monday into the middle of the week. Rainfall of 4 to 8 inches is possible farther inland over portions of Mississippi and Alabama. Sally is expected to be a slow moving system resulting in significant flash flooding near the Central Gulf Coast through the middle of the week. Flash, urban and rapid onset flooding along small streams, and minor to isolated major flooding on rivers is likely.
photo: National Weather Service