Tropical Storm Watch issued for parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties
Just one day after the official start of hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center issued a Tropical Storm Watch for much of south Florida, including Sarasota and Manatee counties.
The NHC announced the watch during its 5 p.m. "Potential Tropical Cyclone One" advisory. The watch begins at the middle of Longboat Key and extends south through the Florida Keys and up the east coast to Brevard County. According to a local weather statement from the National Weather Service in Ruskin, the watches include coastal Sarasota and inland Manatee counties.
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The same advisory also predicts heavy rains for South Florida, "4 to 8 inches with maximum totals of 12 inches" and warns of potential flash flooding, especially in urban areas.
The storm surge in Sarasota County is not expected to be more than 1 to 2 feet.
According to Rodney Wynn, meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay area office, midday Friday through Saturday night will feature heavy rain in the Sarasota-Manatee area. Wynn estimated that the area will see two to four inches of rain per day until the system moves east and out of the region.
Wynn expects it to be a “wet and foggy” 36 to 48 hours, with Sunday featuring the typical summertime 20-40% chance of rain.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tropical Storm Watch issued for parts of Sarasota, Manatee counties
