Tropical Storm Dolly Forms in the Gulf

The fourth named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season is officially on the scene, but she’s not expected to pack a punch for the Tampa Bay area.

Tropical Storm Dolly was located off the coast of Mexico Tuesday morning and is expected to make landfall there soon, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of Tuesday morning, Dolly had maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph and was moving west, northwest at 16 mph.

While Dolly moves toward Mexico, forecasters are keeping an eye on a tropical wave on the coast of west Africa. The storm is expected to make its way into open waters by Thursday and has been given a 30 percent chance of developing over the next five days.

Tropical weather aside, the Tampa Bay area is likely in for a stormy, steamy week ahead. The lowest chance of rain is found on Tuesday as forecasters at the National Weather Service call for about a 30 percent chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Those chances rise to 40 percent on Wednesday, and about 60 percent from Thursday through Friday afternoon. High temperatures are anticipated in the low 90s throughout the Bay with lows in the mid-70s.

For a complete look at local weather, visit the National Weather Service online.

Photo Credit: National Hurricane Center graphic