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Tropical Storm Sandy may bring rip currents, wind gusts to town

24 October 2012 Last Updated on 30 November 2012 Marcy Shortuse

From the Florida Division of Emergency Management ...

As Sandy moves into the Atlantic Ocean, rip currents, strong winds, rain and coastal erosion possible ...

TALLAHASSEE - Florida’s emergency officials encourage residents and visitors to monitor the weather this week as Tropical Storm Sandy could bring indirect impacts to South Florida and the Atlantic Coast as it moves north through the Atlantic Ocean.

“Although Florida is not forecast to receive any direct impacts from Tropical Storm Sandy, South Florida and the Atlantic Coast could see windy conditions, rain and an elevated risk of rip currents this week and into the weekend,” said Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management Bryan W. Koon. “All Floridians should remain aware of the storm and the possible indirect impacts for their area, and take appropriate precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”

While the forecast track of Tropical Storm Sandy is still uncertain, residents and visitors in South Florida and the Atlantic Coast could see breezy winds of 25-35 miles per hour and rainfall of 1-3 inches, with locally heavier rainfall possible. Those along the coast may see increased wave height, as high as 10 feet along the coast and 20 feet offshore. The risk of rip currents will be elevated, and all beachgoers should use caution when swimming.

From nbc-2.com weather ...

For our Wednesday, look for a mixture of sun and clouds with the occasional spotty shower. Winds will come in swiftly from the east again at 10-20 mph with some higher gusts. Temperatures will stay a few degrees below 90 through the afternoon.
Winds will be a little stronger Thursday. Wind direction will begin to veer from east to northeast, and we may see some gusts up to 30 mph.

The strongest wind gusts for us will likely come Friday as Sandy makes its closest approach to Southwest Florida, which should be somewhere between 300-400 miles to our east. Even at such a distance, winds will get rather blustery Friday as Sandy's wind field expands in size. Sustained winds should be close to 20-25, and wind gusts could get up to 35-40 mph at times.

As we head into the upcoming weekend, the breeze will still be rather stiff as the wind flow starts coming in from the north. This northerly component to the wind will help guide dry, cool, and stable air into Southwest Florida, making the weekend very pleasant in both the temperature and humidity departments. High temperatures through the weekend should only warm to the middle 80s, and low temperatures by Sunday morning will cool to the mid 60s.

By early next week, there's a good chance our high temperatures will only climb into the upper 70s while our lows dip down into the 50s for the first time in several months.