Eye on the Tropics

Tracking Fred: Storm remains disorganized, expected to reorganize as it moves toward Florida Keys

ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 continues to track Fred as Florida remains in its projected path. Read updates on the storm below:

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11 a.m. update

Fred is maintaining tropical depression status but the National Hurricane Center said the system “is closer to that of an open wave than a normal tropical cyclone.”

Meteorologists still expect it to reorganize and strengthen as it moves toward the Florida Keys.

Meteorologist Rusty McCranie said shear and continued land interaction with Cuba will keep Fred weak.

The overall track of Fred remains unchanged.

8 a.m. update

Tropical Depression Fred remains disorganized as it moves between Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds remain near 35 mph.

The storm is expected to redevelop over the next 12 hours.

5 a.m. update

Tropical Depression Fred moved back over water between Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas.

The storm remains disorganized but it is bringing heavy rain to portions of Hispaniola.

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Fred is expected to move across the southeastern Bahamas Thursday, move near Cuba late Thursday and Friday, and be near the Florida Keys and South Florida on Saturday.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds remain near 35 mph.

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Forecasters said the little change in strength is expected for Thursday, but slow strengthening is expected Friday and this weekend.

The National Hurricane Center said there is a risk of tropical storm conditions beginning early Saturday in the Florida Keys and South Florida. The conditions are expected to spread northward along portions of the Florida west coast and Florida Panhandle through Monday.

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Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.