ORLANDO, Fla. – A tropical depression that formed Saturday off the coast of east-central Florida has strengthened into Tropical Storm Arthur, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The tropical storm, which had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph with higher gusts, was moving toward the north-northeast near 13 mph. According to the NHC, a motion toward the north-northeast or northeast is expected Saturday night and Sunday.
“On the forecast track, Arthur will remain well offshore the east coast of Florida and Georgia tonight and Sunday, and then move near or east of the coast of North Carolina on Monday,” the NHC said in its advisory.
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Tropical Storm Arthur is still well offshore, roughly 190 miles east-northeast from Cape Canaveral, and it will continue to move away. Arthur is headed toward the northeast, where it’s expected to maintain tropical storm strength for a few more days.
Tropical storm watches are in place for portions of the North Carolina coast.
What to expect in Orlando area
As the storm moves away, it will take most of the rain with it. We can’t rule out a few more bands of rain impacting the coast, but most areas Saturday night and Sunday will remain dry.
Lows will settle around 70 degrees under cloudy skies. On Sunday, highs rebound to the low 90s inland. Near the coast, it will be closer to the mid-80s.
Beach-goers should swim safe near a lifeguard -- there will be a high rip current risk as the waters remain unsettled due to Arthur. For boaters, there’s a small craft advisory in place through Sunday night. It will be bumpy on the water.
More widespread rain returns to the forecast by Monday night going into Tuesday.
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