MIAMI -- The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Depression 10 is now Tropical Storm Idalia.
The NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured top winds of 40 miles per hour Sunday morning.
Idalia is centered about 80 miles ESE of Cozumel, Mexico, only moving east at two miles per hour. But forecasters expect it to strengthen and pick up speed over the next couple of days.
Warnings are posted for parts of Mexico and watches for western Cuba. No watches or warnings are yet posted for Florida. The biggest concern is rain, as Idalia is expected to move parallel to the west coast before a Big Bend landfall Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing 3 to 6 inches of rain, and as much as ten inches in some areas.
Governor DeSantis has placed 33 Florida counties on or near the Gulf Coast under a state of emergency.
Photo: NHC