{"id":118318,"date":"2023-08-29T21:27:23","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T21:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uklevitrasupport.com\/?p=118318"},"modified":"2023-08-29T21:27:23","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T21:27:23","slug":"hurricane-idalia-up-to-100-mph-predicted-to-become-cat-3-before-florida-landfall-the-denver-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uklevitrasupport.com\/world-news\/hurricane-idalia-up-to-100-mph-predicted-to-become-cat-3-before-florida-landfall-the-denver-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Hurricane Idalia up to 100 mph, predicted to become Cat 3 before Florida landfall The Denver Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hurricane Idalia formed Tuesday morning gaining steam into the afternoon as it continued into the Gulf of Mexico where the forecast predicts it will grow into a major Category 3 hurricane before striking Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.<\/p>\n

In its 5 p.m. advisory, the NHC said the center of Hurricane Idalia had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and higher gusts located about 195 miles southwest of Tampa moving north at 16 mph. Its hurricane-force winds extend out 25 miles and tropical-storm-force winds extend out 160 miles.<\/p>\n

Squalls have already begun to spread out over portions of the Florida Keys and southwest Florida and will spread out and up across the Florida peninsula overnight as the system drives up along the Gulf Coast. Tornado warnings hit Collier County after noon as the storm bands pushed through.<\/p>\n

“Rapid intensification is likely through landfall, and Idalia is forecast to become an extremely dangerous major hurricane before landfall on Wednesday,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist Eric Blake.<\/p>\n

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Its projected path has the center making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend part of the Gulf Coast and heading inland between Gainesville and Tallahassee. Forecasters predicted earlier Tuesday the storm would reach peak sustained winds of 125 mph with gusts up to 155 mph right before landfall and storm surge that could top 15 feet by mid-morning Wednesday.<\/p>\n

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, just over 10,000 customers were without power in the state, according to website poweroutage.us.<\/p>\n

During a news conference in Lake City about 80 miles northeast of the projected landfall area, Gov. Ron DeSantis made one last plea for residents to flee the coast ahead of the expected deadly storm surge.<\/p>\n

“You’ve got time to [leave] in this Big Bend area, but time is running out very, very rapidly,” he said.<\/p>\n

Hurricane Idalia live updates: Orlando City Hall closes<\/p>\n