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Tag: Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay

  • Keeping an eye on the tropics next week

    Keeping an eye on the tropics next week

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Showers and thunderstorms continue over the Gulf of Mexico with moisture spreading over Florida from Sunday into next week. There is a high chance again of tropical development of a low pressure area in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico early next week.

    A cold front will be moving southward toward the northern Gulf coast at about the same time. If the low forming can remain separated from the front, it could develop into a tropical or subtropical storm and move to the west-coast of Florida Tuesday or Wednesday. Computer models have been going back and forth on development, but more models are showing a tropical system.

    Regardless of development, heavy rain will be a threat around the Florida Peninsula from Sunday into Wednesday. Models keep shifting the heavy rain threat area from along the I-4 corridor to south of it and over more of South Florida. The location of the swath of heavy rain should become more evident toward the end of the weekend into next week. With the ground saturated from a rainy summer, additional downpours would quickly cause flooding concerns.

    With clean-up efforts and debris removal still very much underway along our coast, the impacts of heavy rain, wind, and storm surge would be higher. We will continue to closely monitor the latest trends throughout the weekend and update you on any changes and keep checking in for any watches or warnings.

    GFS/EURO 7-Day Rainfall Models

    GFS Rainfall Model

     

    EURO Rainfall Model

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    Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay

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  • Hurricane Charley made landfall 20 years ago

    Hurricane Charley made landfall 20 years ago

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    What You Need To Know

    • Hurricane Charley made landfall in Florida on Aug. 13, 2004

    • It was responsible for nine deaths in Florida

    • It was a Category 4 at landfall with winds near 150 mph

    • Hurricane Charley was the first of four hurricanes to strike Florida in 2004

    As it rapidly intensified, winds reached 150 mph at landfall.

    The damage to come was inevitable. Charley isolated communities for several days and demolished homes and businesses.

    While Charley was expected to make landfall in Tampa Bay, most of the west coast of Florida still had to prepare for the impact of the storm. 

    On the morning of Aug. 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley started to shift to the east. Alan Winfield and I at Bay News 9 were the first on TV in Tampa to call Charley missing Tampa Bay and hitting south, at about 8:30 a.m. on that fateful morning.

    At about 6 a.m., I saw the eye of Charley on our first live Doppler radar at a 300-mile range over the Dry Tortugas (the islands west of Key West). I knew then it was getting much stronger than the forecast, and as we watched over the next couple of hours, it veered slightly to the east.

    Hurricane Charley making landfall in Florida on Aug. 13, 2004. (NOAA)

    While it spared Tampa Bay, Charley devastated places like Captiva Island, Cayo Costa and Port Charlotte. 

    No description available.

    Charley continued northeast across the Florida peninsula, bringing a path of destruction that was described as a “20-mile-wide tornado.”

    There was a wind gust of 147 mph in Wauchula. Polk County reported gusts over 100 mph, and there was a 106 mph wind gust in Orlando.

    Hurricane Charley was responsible for nine deaths in Florida and caused nearly $17 billion in damage.

    Charley was the first of four hurricanes to make landfall in Florida that season.

    Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Kyle Hanson

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