Wilma #5: Watching VERY CAREFULLY in Central Florida

[Josephine96]

The following post is NOT an official forecast and should not be used as such. It is just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. It is NOT endorsed by any professional institution including storm2k.org For Official Information please refer to the NHC and NWS products.

EXPERIMENTAL HURRICANE FORECAST
HURRICANE WILMA
NJN WEATHER CENTER
615 PM SAT OCT 22ND 2005

Hurricane Wilma appears to finally be emerging slowly into the GOM after giving Cancun and Cozumel a real battering. Some reports even stated that some areas got over 5 FEET of rain.

Now the focus shifts to southwest and quite possibly Central Florida. A hurricane watch extends all the way to Titusville on the East coast.and from Longboat Key and south on the west.

These mean that a threat to Central Florida does exist from this storm.

Wilma is currently still a strong Category 2 with winds of 100 mph. It is important not to take her lightly as a Cat 2. It is important that all residents in her path complete their preps.

There is a chance she could weaken further. The environment in the GOM is hostile, she will interact with a cold front, combined with strong wind shear. This should at least keep her around 100-105 mph. She would only need 11 more mph to regain major status however.

My official forecast for Wilma has shifted north once again. It seems like it's been bouncing up and down the Florida coast as of late. I now will say she may come in at an angle where she would pass north of Lake Okechobee while she crosses the peninsula. This would cause the expanded windfield to extend into Orange, Polk, Osceola, and Brevard counties.

Residents in those areas should be prepared for the possibility of hurricane force winds or at least hurricane force gusts.

Here are my latest projections on Wilma:
Tonight: Into the GOM. Re-emerging. Max winds: 100 mph
Sunday: Watches changed to warnings in some areas. Max winds: 105 mph
Monday: Making landfall, just south of Sarasota. Max winds: 105 mph
Tuesday: Well out in the Atlantic, weakening. Max winds: 70 mph
Wednesday: Extra-tropical. Max winds: 45 mph

[gatorcane]

Look at 18Z GFS. Landfall in Sarasota county.

[Josephine96]

Sarasota County hmm.. That'd be almost where my original landfall was..