Eta has weakened to a tropical storm just hours after regaining hurricane strength as Florida braces for a second hit from the storm. As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Eta is about 65 miles southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Track Eta with the WESH 2 News app The center of Eta is expected to move close to the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday and approach the west-central coast of Florida late Wednesday night. Eta’s course is now set for landfall along the Big Bend of Florida, just to the east of Ocala, late Thursday. From there, the storm will move inland over the northern portion of the Florida peninsula on Thursday. The latest maps, models and pathsEta will bring heavy downpours that could produce flash flooding, river flooding and landslides to parts of Central Florida.This could be the storm’s fourth landfall. Eta first made landfall in Central America last week and as a Category 4 hurricane, then in Cuba and in Lower Matecumbe Key late Sunday.A hurricane watch has been issued for Anna Maria Island to Yankeetown and tropical storm warnings are currently in place for Bonita Beach to the Suwannee River. North of the Suwannee River to Aucilla River, Florida, tropical storm watches are in place.Lake, Marion, Sumter and Polk counties are under a tropical storm warning. Volusia and Flagler counties are under tropical storm watches. Areas along the Florida coastline should expect widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches with some areas possibly seeing as much as 5 inches through Friday. 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 final weeks of this historic hurricane season have brought an unusual collection of storms.In addition to Eta, Tropical Storm Theta became the 29th named Atlantic storm of the season. It is chugging east toward Europe on the cusp of hurricane status. The last time there were two named storms churning at the same time this late in the year was in December 1887. But wait there’s more. A tropical wave moving across the Atlantic somehow survived the mid-November winds that usually decapitate storms. The system now has a 80% chance of becoming the 30th named storm, Iota.
Eta has weakened to a tropical storm just hours after regaining hurricane strength as Florida braces for a second hit from the storm.
As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Eta is about 65 miles southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Track Eta with the WESH 2 News app
The center of Eta is expected to move close to the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday and approach the west-central coast of Florida late Wednesday night.
Eta’s course is now set for landfall along the Big Bend of Florida, just to the east of Ocala, late Thursday. From there, the storm will move inland over the northern portion of the Florida peninsula on Thursday.
The latest maps, models and paths
Eta will bring heavy downpours that could produce flash flooding, river flooding and landslides to parts of Central Florida.
This could be the storm’s fourth landfall. Eta first made landfall in Central America last week and as a Category 4 hurricane, then in Cuba and in Lower Matecumbe Key late Sunday.
A hurricane watch has been issued for Anna Maria Island to Yankeetown and tropical storm warnings are currently in place for Bonita Beach to the Suwannee River. North of the Suwannee River to Aucilla River, Florida, tropical storm watches are in place.
Lake, Marion, Sumter and Polk counties are under a tropical storm warning. Volusia and Flagler counties are under tropical storm watches.
Areas along the Florida coastline should expect widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches with some areas possibly seeing as much as 5 inches through Friday.
