Hurricane Ian targets Florida, Georgia

Sarasota, Fla.. (WTVY)-- Ian has been upgraded to a hurricane and Florida’s Suncoast has been placed under a Hurricane Watch, from north of Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, the National Hurricane Center announced Monday.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

At 5 a.m. ET Monday the center of Hurricane Ian was located about 90 miles southwest of Grand Cayman. Ian is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph.

A turn toward the north-northwest is expected today followed by a northward motion on Tuesday with a slightly slower forward speed the a turn toward the north-northeast is forecast on Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to pass near or west of the Cayman Islands today, and near or over western Cuba tonight and early Tuesday. Ian will then emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, and pass west of the Florida Keys late Tuesday, and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.

After moving inland the storm is expected to dump a massive amount of rain on Georgia and tropical storm conditions accompanied by significant rain could also be experienced in southeast Alabama, per the National Weather Service.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph with higher gusts. Rapid strengthening is expected during the next day or so, and Ian is forecast to become a major hurricane tonight when it is near western Cuba.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.

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