Hurricane Isaias: The Latest Potential Impacts, Timeline For LI

LONG ISLAND, NY — Impacts from Hurricane Isaias could begin Monday night into Tuesday on Long Island, forecasters say.

"While it`s too early to provide any specific details on the impacts from the storm, it needs to be closely monitored," the National Weather Service says in a hazardous weather outlook issued for the island. "Potential impacts during the Monday night to Wednesday time period include heavy rainfall and gusty winds, coastal flooding and hazardous surf."

A hurricane watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning for parts of Florida as Isaias churns closer to the Sunshine State and threatens the entire East Coast.

Isaias was packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph as of 8 p.m., which represents a 5 mph increase over the previous update. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center of Isaias, while tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

"Isaias is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph... and a general northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected for the next day or so, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest by late Sunday," the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 p.m. advisory. "On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will move near or over the central Bahamas tonight, near or over the northwestern Bahamas Saturday and near the east coast of the Florida peninsula Saturday afternoon through Sunday."

Isaias is expected to weaken as it moves up the coast. There's about a 20 percent chance of tropical-storm-force winds on Long Island next week.

The full forecast:

Friday Night- Mostly clear, with a low around 68. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning.

Saturday Night- A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Increasing clouds, with a low around 72. South wind 3 to 6 mph.

Sunday- A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Southeast wind 7 to 13 mph.

Sunday Night- A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind 11 to 15 mph.

Monday- A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Monday Night- A 50 percent chance of rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Tuesday- A 50 percent chance of rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83.

Tuesday Night- A 50 percent chance of rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Windy.

Wednesday- A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85.

Wednesday Night- A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.

Thursday- Sunny, with a high near 85.

With reporting by Paul Scicchitano, Patch Staff