Eye on the Tropics

Slow-moving Beta brings long-lasting rains to Texas, Louisiana; monitoring system close to Florida

By Irene Sans, WFTV.com
By Irene Sans, WFTV.com

ORLANDO, Fla. — After three storms were officially named last Friday (all within a period of 7 hours), two of those storms dissipated over the weekend. Tropical Storm Beta, is still going... slow. It was forecast to move slowly toward the central Texas coast, and on Monday morning is located about 60 miles away from the Matagorda Bay.

We are also watching two systems that could develop this week. One of these systems is located west of the Bahamas very close to South Florida and could enhance our rain chances by next weekend.

WATCHING A SYSTEM BETWEEN FLORIDA AND THE BAHAMAS

A system that entered Brevard County over the weekend has moved over the Atlantic but parallel to South Florida and the Bahamas. This system has a low chance of developing into a tropical system, but we will continue to monitor it closely.

The weak cold front that moved over Central Florida will continue to push very slowly toward the south and become a stationary soon near Cuba. (Central Florida will get very nice and comfortable weather Monday through Wednesday)

LOCAL WEATHER: Coastal flood warnings, windy conditions remain with fast-moving showers possible across Central Florida

On Wednesday, this front will start to retract to the north and take the energy of the low-pressure system back northward. It will enhance rain chances from south to north along the Florida Peninsula.

Conditions are forecast to become more favorable for this system to develop starting on Thursday near the Florida Keys. Regardless of development, expect heavy periods of rain across South Florida and possibly moving to Central Florida next weekend.

Forecast Track

TROPICAL STORM BETA

Beta is forecast to make landfall late Monday or very early Tuesday morning near the Matagorda Bay, located southeast of Galveston. This tropical system will continue to move very slowly. Its speed will continue to bring torrential rains for eastern Texas and Louisiana which will last through much of this week.

RAINFALL

Through the end of this workweek, Beta is expected to produce rainfall amounts between 5 and 10 inches with isolated totals of 15 inches from the central Texas coast to southeast Louisiana. Rainfall totals between 3 and 5 inches are expected northward into the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas region and east into the Lower Mississippi Valley through the end of the week. Flash and urban flooding are likely, as well as isolated minor river flooding.

STORM SURGE

Storm surge could also be life-threatening, especially during high tide cycles along the eastern Texas and Louisiana coasts. Up to 4 feet of storm surge is expected along the eastern Texas coast.

TORNADOES

Isolated tornadoes are also possible tonight over eastern Texas. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

Beta is expected to gradually weaken as it moves over land, but it will still be a big rain event throughout the rest of the week.


Forecast Track


HURRICANE TEDDY

Hurricane Teddy continues to move fairly slow to the north-northeast. It is expected to pass just east of Bermuda on Monday afternoon.

This storm will continue to expand and transition to a post-tropical cyclone as it moves over higher latitudes. It will affect eastern Canada with strong winds starting late Tuesday.

Large swells across the eastern United States Bahamas will continue. Across Atlantic Canada, winds and rainfall will increase on Tuesday and last through Thursday.

Forecast Track

REMNANTS OF PAULETTE HOLDING STRONG

The rest of what was Hurricane Paulette has been meandering over the northern Atlantic during the weekend.

On Monday, they are located about 400 miles south of the Azores Islands and they have a medium chance of developing into a tropical system again. If it is named, it will get named Paulette again.

This system is forecast to continue moving east toward Europe, between 10 to 15 mph.

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