Tropical Storm Eta To Bring Flooding, Thunderstorms To Georgia

GEORGIA — As Tropical Storm Eta moves closer to Georgia, the National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for portions of North and Central Georgia on Wednesday.

Tropical moisture will continue to increase today leading to periods of showers and isolated thunderstorms. A few thunderstorms could produce gusty winds, but the primary threats will be locally heavy rain which could lead to isolated flooding.

The focus for locally heavy rainfall will shift to Central Georgia on Thursday as the tropical moisture pulls out from northwest to southeast during the day.

No hazardous weather is expected by the National Weather Service through the middle of next week.

The forecast for the next seven days in metro Atlanta shows:

Veterans Day

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 77. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday night

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., then a chance of showers after 3 a.m. Patchy fog after 1 a.m. Low around 64. East wind around 5 mph becoming west in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 72. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Friday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 53.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.

Saturday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Sunday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.

Sunday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Monday

Sunny, with a high near 66.

Monday night

Clear, with a low around 41.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 59.

Although reports from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated that Eta strengthened into a hurricane overnight, an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft indicated Wednesday afternoon that Eta has weakened back to a tropical storm.

Data from the aircraft and NOAA Doppler weather radars show that maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 70 mph with higher gusts. Slow weakening is expected as Eta approaches the west coast of Florida Wednesday night followed by rapid weakening after landfall occurs on Thursday. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles, mainly northeast through southeast of the center.

Heavy rains and gusty winds are occurring across west-central Florida and the coastline remains at risk from storm surge. The storm is about 60 miles southwest of Tampa Bay, moving north-northeast at about 10 mph.

The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Eta is 115 miles west-southwest of Port Charlotte and 145 miles south-southwest of Tampa, moving north-northeast at about 10 mph.

Heavy squalls with tropical storm-force winds are spreading onshore along the Gulf, and a storm surge warning has been issued from the Suwanee River to Bonita Beach, including Tampa Bay.

A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere in the warning area within 36 hours.

A storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.

A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.