Even though we are not in the cone of concern, we will feel some of Irene's wrath. we may get some gusty winds, pockets of heavy rain, and rough surf.
- Wind: By Thursday, it will be breezy with winds up to 30mph and some stronger gusts.
- Rain: We could see some of Irene's feeder band dump pockets of rain... but they will be fast movers.
- Surf: Choppy seas. Late Tuesday afternoon NWS added a Tropical Storm watch for coastal waters from Jupiter Inlet south to Ocean Reef. IT IS NOT FOR LAND AREAS. The advisory is to alert boaters not to venture over the Coastal waters as Irene approaches.
These are a few things we should watch out for:
- Further intensification: Yes, things could get worse for our friends in the Bahamas. Conditions remain favorable for it to reach cat 4 (winds of 131mph+) by Thursday. After that, it will juggle between a cat 3 and 4, as the eyewall is replaced . When systems are this powerful, its like a runner sprinting in a marathon, it can't do it, so it slows down to recoup, weakening, and then it runs off again at full speed. This is why the eyewall gets replaced.
- Will it make a turn?: That was something I had been looking for through all the recon data. Hurricane hunters now say it has begun turning more northwest, staying clear of Florida but still aiming for the northwestern Bahamas.
- East Coast worries: That's the next issue. The longer its delayed over the Bahamas, the more time strong upper level winds in the Nation's mid section can move to the coast and hopefully block Irene. Right now, models are split on this decision with some keeping Irene over land and others pushing it out to sea
To all our viewers with friends and family in the Bahamas, our prayers are with you. I presently have a team member scouring any and an all info we get from the Bahamas and will air what we get on our weather segments. Of course 7News has a team of reporters in the Bahamas to keep you up to date as weather permits.
For residents here with friends and family in the Middle Atlantic States and the Northeast... keep a watchful eye on the cone. If it changes, we'll let you know.
