Tropical Storm Nicole remains en route to Florida where it is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday night, according to the recent newsletter from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The tropical cyclone is located 40 km east-northeast of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas and about 340 km east of West Palm Beach in Florida. Nicole’s maximum sustained winds increased overnight to 110 km/h, while moving west-southwest at 19 km/h.
Authorities maintain a hurricane warning for the islands of Abacos, Berry and Grand Bahama, as well as Boca Raton in Florida to Flager and Volusia counties.
Multiple storm surge watches remain in effect for much of Florida’s east coast and keep the population on alert. Some of these areas are still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Ian in September, which hit the southwestern coast of Florida as a Category 4 storm.
The international Airport of West Palm Beach ceased its commercial operations around 9 am this Wednesday, and the Orlando International Airport will close its passenger terminal at 4 pm due to the impact that Nicole would have in the area. The authorities urged citizens not to go to the airports because they are not an authorized refuge.
Forecasters forecast that the center of Nicole will approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday morning, move near or over those islands by noon, and approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area tonight. The center of Nicole is expected to move across central and northern Florida, then into southern Georgia on Thursday and across the Carolinas on Friday.
Nicole would weaken while moving across Florida when it became a post-tropical cyclone. This is a broad tropical cyclone with tropical storm force winds extending up to 740 km away from the center, according to the NHC.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis testified Tuesday State of emergency in 34 counties that would be on Nicole’s forecast track. The state’s public schools will be closed this Wednesday due to the arrival of heavy rains and winds.
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