Will Tropical Storm Eta Affect Georgia

GEORGIA — Tropical Storm Eta is moving over Florida on Monday, and is expected to bring wind and rain to Georgia later this week.

Parts of South and Central Florida experienced gusty winds and heavy rain as Tropical Storm Eta moved southwestward over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico overnight. However, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, Eta never reached hurricane levels.

As a result, the tropical storm warning was canceled for all the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys, excluding the Dry Tortugas where a tropical storm warning remains in effect, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Gusty conditions will continue across the Florida Keys, south and central Florida Monday. A tornado or two is also possible over parts of south Florida and the Keys.

Eta may bring some wind and rain showers to the metro Atlanta area later this week. The weekly forecast shows:

Monday night

A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Tuesday

A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 9 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 74. East wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday night

Showers likely, mainly after 10 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Veterans Day

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 a.m. High near 76. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Wednesday night

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Thursday

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 a.m, then a chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Thursday night

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 57.

Friday

A 20 percent chance of showers before 8 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.

Friday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 56.

Saturday

A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.

Saturday night

A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Sunday

A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.

At 10 a.m. Monday, the center of Tropical Storm Eta was located by an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Doppler weather radars moving toward the southwest at 14 mph. This motion is expected to continue through Monday night.

Little motion is forecast on Tuesday and a slow northward motion is expected on Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Eta will continue to move away from the Florida Keys and south Florida Monday, and will remain over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Monday night through Wednesday.

Data from the aircraft and Doppler radars indicate that maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 60 mph with some higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected Monday. Some slight strengthening is forecast on Tuesday into Wednesday, followed by gradual weakening thereafter.
Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles.

Eta is expected to produce rainfall through Saturday morning in portions of the central and southern Florida peninsula, including the Keys of about 2 to 4 inches with isolated maximum storm totals of 18 inches in South Florida.