ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Julia weakened into a tropical storm on Sunday after making landfall in Central America.
As of 11 p.m. on Sunday, Tropical Storm Julia had sustained winds of 40 mph, is moving west at 15 mph and will soon move off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua.
[TRENDING: D-SNAP benefits approved for Florida residents affected by Hurricane Ian | East Orange County family remains without power, water following Hurricane Ian | Become a News 6 Insider]
Life-threatening flash floods and mudslides will be possible from the heavy rain expected over Central America and Southern Mexico through the weekend.
Julia is expected to maintain its tropical characteristics as it moves over land and re-emerges back over water in the Pacific Ocean. If it does in fact do that, the storm will keep its Atlantic name even if in the Pacific Ocean.
This would be the second time during the 2022 hurricane season that a storm crossed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and kept its original name. There would now be two “B” storms and two “J” storms in the Pacific basin when all is said and done.
The tropics are quiet behind Hurricane Julia at this time.
A rare, late-season plume of Saharan Dust has just emerged off of Africa. This will help to deter tropical development in this part of the world.
Typically by October, the Cabo Verde season, where storms develop near Africa and make the trans-Atlantic trip across the ocean, shuts off anyway. This Saharan Air Layer as it’s known will help the process along with its dry and stable air.
At this point the in the hurricane season, development typically occurs in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico or off of the southeast coast of the U.S.
Hurricane season runs through November.
Historic flooding continues along the St. Johns River nearly two weeks after Hurricane Ian moved through Florida. Along larger bodies of water, the crest, or highest point the river rise peaks, is delayed from the heaviest rain. In the case of the St. Johns River, tidal influences also impact water levels.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: