A late-season tropical system is developing in the Caribbean. Tropical Cyclone 19 is expected to become Tropical Storm Sara on Thursday.
When the storm passes over warm Caribbean waters, it may strengthen slightly. However, Sara is expected to have some land interaction with Central America and Mexico, which may limit her intensity.
Here is the most recent predicted track.
Once the storm has cleared the Yucatan Peninsula, it may hit the southern Gulf of Mexico early next week. The system may attempt to intensify before a cold front sweeps it to the northeast.
The most recent forecast model tracks predict a rapid shift to the northeast, which would likely lead to this near Florida. If Sara heads towards Florida, it may increase the risk of rain in Southeast Georgia and the Lowcountry.
If the storm passes across South Florida, the effects on our area are likely to be mild. We’ll keep a watch on this late-season tropical system in the coming days, so do check back!
The short-term outlook indicates that rain will return on Thursday. Showers are probable from the morning until the afternoon, ranging from isolated to widely scattered. Keep an umbrella on hand throughout the day.
Rain showers should end Thursday evening as a cold front moves across the area. Rainfall totals will range from a few hundredths of an inch to more than 0.50 inches in inland areas. Thursday is the sole chance of rain until Tuesday night, Wednesday, or next week, when tropical moisture may move into our area.
Tides are running higher than normal due to the moon phase and an onshore flow. The high tide at Fort Pulaski around 6 a.m. on Thursday is forecast to be 10′.
When the tide reaches 10 feet, water might begin to move onto Highway 80 in spots to and from Tybee Island. Saturday morning high tide may also exceed 10 feet.