Hurricane Eta, currently far away from Florida, is no immediate threat to the Central Florida Attractions. But its long range future is a bit more uncertain and given that everyone has other things on their mind this week, we thought it wise to at least put it on your radar for next week.
Eta is no joke, expected to make landfall as a category four hurricane somewhere along the coast of Central America and bringing devastating winds and flooding to those in its path. It was originally expected to then dissipate over the Yucatan Peninsula, but forecast models lately have been supportive of a turn north, putting the remnants of the storm back over open water. From there, generally favorable conditions could allow for future development.
As for where that development takes it, it’s entirely too early to tell. Some runs of some models have hinted at the storm going towards Florida, but those model runs have been inconsistent and are so far in the future that there is little forecast skill associated with them at this point. So there’s no need to panic, and this may well be a non-event for us. But it’s something to look into next week, once we get past our own “storm” on Tuesday. So get out and enjoy the beautiful and slightly cooler weather when you go vote (Sunny skies and a high of 78 in Orlando Tuesday!), and keep an eye on the tropics later on. Keep calm and carry on!