Tropical depression #3 was upgraded to tropical storm Colin this afternoon just after 4:00pm CDT.
Tropical storm Colin is currently located over the Southern Gulf at 23.4°N 87.8°W and is moving to the north at 9mph. Presently Colin has maximum sustained winds of 40mph and a minimum pressure of 1003 millibars.
Watches and warnings: A tropical storm warning also remains in effect from Indian Pass, FL to Englewood, FL. In addition, a tropical storm watch has been issued for parts of the East Coast of Florida from Altahama Sound, GA to Flagler Volusia county, FL line.
Forecast for Colin: Colin is expected to continue to track to the north tonight; however, a turn to the northeast is expected tomorrow. Colin is also expected to strengthen into a moderate tropical storm with max winds of 50 – 55mph tomorrow. Colin is then expected to make landfall just north of Cedar Key, FL tomorrow night.
Impacts: The main impacts from Colin will be winds of 40 – 50mph with higher gusts; heavy rainfall with flash flooding and accumulations of 4 – 8″ across parts of Central and South Florida; and storm surge of 1 – 4′ along parts of the West Coast of Florida.
Tornadoes will also be a concern across the entire Florida Peninsula tomorrow.
We will have another update on tropical storm Colin tomorrow. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter for future updates. You should also monitor the latest advisories on Colin from the National Hurricane Center.