Wind shear is expected to stay high, 20 – 30 knots, through Sunday, which should prevent any significant intensification as the storm meanders off the coast of SC in an atmosphere with weak steering currents.
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After the surprise emergence of Tropical Storm Julia on Tuesday evening while the center was located over land in northeastern Florida, the storm appears determined to stick around through the weekend and annoy coastal SC and North Carolina with days of intermittent rain showers.
Tropical Storm Warnings are now in effect along the coast of Georgia and northern Florida.
Flood watches have been dropped along the SC coast now that Tropical Storm Julia has weakened to a tropical depression and is offshore.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Ian is moving north in the central Atlantic but is no threat to land. It formed directly over Jacksonville with rain squalls producing winds over 45 miles per hour.
How can a tropical storm form over land, rather than over warm ocean water?
To the southeast of Ian was Tropical Depression 12, which could eventually be the next named storm.
TD 12 had winds of 35 miles per hour with higher gusts. Recent observations indicate that sustained tropical-storm-force winds are occurring along the northeast coast of Florida from Ponte Vedra northward to the mouth of the St. Johns River.
The hurricane center said wind shear was forecast to increase near the storm, so little change in strength was anticipated in the next two days.
Forecasters are also keeping a close watch on a tropical wave that is expected to move off Africa’s coast sometime on Friday. However, forecasters noted that forecast models disagree on how much it could strengthen.
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The storm was forecast to meander and then dissipate offshore in the next few days. The system was moving north at 7 miles per hour. The low should move the Northwest and develop rain and gusty winds in its path. While the season technically runs June 1 through November 30, numerous major storms on record have occurred during the traditional eight-week peak.
