HURRICANE DORIAN STARTING TO STRENGTHEN THIS MORNING, EYES FLORIDA PENINSULA

Hurricane Dorian this morning is still a cat 2 hurricane on the saffir-simpson scale. Winds as of the 11am advisory are still 110mph. However, there are signs that it may start a strengthening trend that should bring it to a strong and dangerous cat 4. The atmosphere around the hurricane are starting to become favorable with an upper level low to its west starting to pull away. This is also what has allowed the eye to start to clear out now and become cloud free. That clearing and sinking motion within the eye should allow for quicker pressure drops to begin later today.

As far as the forecast track. The NHC has good confidence that the track is fairly tight approaching the Florida coastline over the weekend. Once to the coast, things become less confident. The hurricane models diverge and spread out in all directions. Some continue across Florida and into the Gulf. Others turn it just short of the coastline and send it towards Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, while others do turn it, but up the spine of the state of Florida. As of now, the NHC has Dorian making landfall somewhere along the peninsula of Florida and slowing and then turning north somewhere over the state. That turn and slowing is bad news for everyone in the state. Heavy rainfall and high winds will continue to batter the state. Florida is relatively flat and depending on the location of the center, it may not weaken as quickly, basically keeping a foot in the water so to speak. Where it heads after that…. thats anyones guess.

So please stay tuned through the holiday weekend for up to date track and intensity info and if you live in the Bahamas and in the state of Florida, you should be finishing your hurricane preparations now! If told to leave, do so. The storm surge and flooding rains will make things extremely treacherous and nearly impossible for someone to come save you if you stay.