HURRICANE: Bill strengthens overnight, TD Four to hit panhandle today

By Lisa Zahner | Update – 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 16

TROPICS — Tropical storm Bill picked up some steam overnight and now has sustained winds of 45 mph with gusts of 55 mph. Bill is predicted to be a Category 3 hurricane by Friday morning and, though the storm has been tracking slightly north, Indian River County is still within the cone of error for Bill. The hurricane could reach Florida next weekend or on Monday, depending on its forward speed.

Click on read more to find out about tropical storm Ana and TD Four, the newest system. At the 5 a.m. advisory, tropical storm Bill was located near latitude 11.4 north and longitude 37.2 west with sustained winds of 45 mph and gusts to 55 mph. Bill is moving west at 12 mph and has a minimum barometric pressure of 1002 mb (29.58 inches). This system is slated to become a Category 1 hurricane by Tuesday, then a Category 2 by Thursday and to have winds topping 110 mph by Friday.

Overnight, a low pressure area in the Gulf was upgraded to TD Four and is scheduled to bring some wet, squally weather to the Florida Panhandle today. TD Four should attain tropical storm status before it reaches the coast somewhere on the Gulf Coast. Then it is expected to weaken back into a depression on Monday

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from the Alabama/Florida border eastward to the Suwannee River Florida.

 Tropical Storm Ana remained steady at 40 mph sustained winds overnight and is moving westward at a good clip of 19 mph. Ana is expected to pass over the island of Hispanola Tuesday morning and then be downgraded to a tropical depression as it makes its way over Cuba on Wednesday. The forecast is showing Ana well south of our area, re-emerging in the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical depression.

The next public advisory will be at 11 a.m. Sunday.

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