ORLANDO, Fla. – Tropical Storm Debby formed Saturday afternoon and is heading toward Florida, bringing heavy rain risks to the state, including Central Florida.
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Lake and Polk counties are currently under a tropical storm watch and Sumter County is under a tropical storm warning and a flood watch, the latter running through Monday night.
According to the National Hurricane Center, TD 4 developed off the south coast of Cuba and became a tropical storm in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico around 5 p.m.
Tropical Storm Debby is expected to move across western Cuba on Saturday, then head north over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and Sunday. It could reach the Florida’s Big Bend area Monday morning as a strong tropical storm with winds of 70 mph.
[CONE, MODELS, MORE: Here’s the latest on Tropical Depression 4 and how it impacts Florida]
Impacts include widespread heavy rain beginning Sunday morning resulting in scattered flash flooding and strong wind gusts between 40-60 mph. Isolated tornadoes are possible as well.
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