Hurricanes

Hurricane Ian is still undergoing rapid intensification and is now a Category 2 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 100 mph. Ian will keep getting stronger as it quickly crosses the western tip of Cuba tonight and then heads towards Florida late Wednesday into early Thursday. Ian is forecast to strengthen to a Category 4 Hurricane over the next 24 hours. Parts of Florida, including Tampa, are under a hurricane warning. Cuba also remains under a Hurricane Warning.

What do you do if you don't have clean water in a storm? FOX 26 Meteorologist John Dawson takes a look at the Guzzle H2O Stream Drinking Water System.

Where is Ian headed and how big of a storm will it become? Uncertainty in the track and intensity forecasts remains higher than usual.

Ian has the attention of most of the Southeastern United States as it grows stronger in the Caribbean. Fiona, Gaston, and Hermine are also out there. Let's discuss it!

Tropics are super active with Category 3 hurricane Fiona headed to the Canadian Maritimes, Tropical Storm Gaston impacting the Azores, newly formed Tropical Storm Hermine in the eastern Atlantic and a tropical wave in the south central Atlantic. We are keeping a close eye on Tropical Depression #9 in the SE Caribbean which is forecast to get much stronger by early next week threatening Cuba and the Florida peninsula. It's not expected to be a threat to SE TX at this point though.

Record heat is expected across Houston over the next few days as a strong ridge of high pressure continues to dominate our area. We will be near triple digits through Saturday with mainly dry weather. A weak cold front is expected to bring some relief next week on Monday and possibly help to steer a tropical system away from SE TX. A tropical wave in the SE Caribbean is expected to move west and has an 80-90% chance for development over the next 2-5 days. Models are projecting this will move W then NW through the Caribbean then turn north into the Gulf of Mexico next week. Models are disagreeing with where it will head once it reaches the Gulf so it is something we are monitoring closely.

Invest 98-L is in the SE Caribbean and has an 80% chance for development over the next 48 hours and a 90% chance for development over the next 5 days. Models are in good agreement that it will track west through the Caribbean and eventually turn NW this weekend. But after 3-4 days, models disagree on where this system will head and that means everyone along the Gulf Coast should stay weather aware and keep checking in with the FOX 26 Weather Team daily. It still appears a front will dip down early next week and try to steer the system NE but there are several factors that are in play that could change the strength and track of this developing system. Once it gets going, it will have plenty of warm water and a low-shear environment for quick strengthening so it's something to pay close attention to. Fiona is still a major hurricane with 130 mph winds headed close to Bermuda tonight where hurricane warnings are in effect. Gaston is still a tropical storm with 65 mph winds which could bring some heavy rain and strong winds to the Azores.

The tropics are heating up with Category 4 Fiona getting Closer to Bermuda with 130 mph winds. Bermuda is under a Hurricane Watch and a Tropical Storm Warning with Fiona passing just to the west late Thursday into Friday. Gaston is still a Tropical Storm in the central Atlantic with no threat to land at this point. Two additional tropical waves in the middle and eastern Atlantic have a low-medium shot for development over the next 2-5 days. Tropical wave in the southern Atlantic is the one we are most concerned about since it has the highest chance to make it into the Caribbean and eventually the Gulf of Mexico over the next several days. If it strengthens, it would be named Hermine.

The tropics are heating up with multiple systems we are tracking in the Atlantic. Fiona is still a Category 3 Hurricane pulling away from the Turks and Caicos Islands and will get close to Bermuda late Thursday into Friday as a major hurricane. Tropical Storm Gaston formed in the central Atlantic today but is not a threat to the US. Another tropical wave in the southern Atlantic will likely push into the Caribbean and eventually could make it into the Gulf of Mexico. But we'll have several days to watch it.