At max winds speeds of 110 mph, Category 2 Hurricane Gonzalo is forecast to strengthen and exceed the 110 mph wind speeds later today. This would make it the 2nd major hurricane of the 2014 season.
As of early Tuesday morning, it’s center is located to the northwest of Anguilla. Additional strengthening is expected today, as it moves away from the Virgin Islands toward the open Atlantic, mainly keeping to the north of Puerto Rico. The National Hurricane Center forecast Hurricane Gonzalo will continue on a northwest track and turn toward the north-northwest by late Wednesday. Extended models suggest Hurricane Gonzalo will remain a major hurricane until Friday as it nears Bermuda. There is no immediate threat from Hurricane Gonzalo to the State of Florida.
Meanwhile, some moderate to severe weather is affecting Florida’s panhandle, and will be moving further into portions of northern Florida, ahead of a strong cold front. The National Weather Service has issued tornado watches for northwest Florida. The counties included are: Calhoun, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla. The watch issued at 4:30 AM is effect until noon today.
