Hurricane Wilma is inland over the extreme northeast tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and she is drifting to the north. Although maximum sustained winds have decreased to 120mph, Wilma is still a major Category III hurricane. Wilma will remain over land until about 5pm when she moves offshore into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Although the hurricane will continue to decrease in intensity today while over land, she will re-intensify later this evening over the Gulf waters. Early Sunday morning, Wilma will turn to the northeast toward the southern Florida peninsula, with landfall now expected near Bonita Beach at 8am on Monday morning. Winds at landfall anticipated to be 110mph with gusts to 130mph - a strong Category II hurricane. Wilma should travel rapidly northeastward across the state with a forward speed of almost 25mph, passing near La Belle at 9am (winds 100mph gusting to 125mph - Cat II) and Okeechobee at 10am (winds 95mph gusting to 115mph - Cat I). Wilma should exit near Fort Pierce around Noon on Monday with sustained winds of 90mph gusting to 110mph - still a Category I hurricane.

For east central Florida, expect showers and isolated thunderstorms today and Sunday, with conditions rapidly deteriorating late Sunday evening. Expect heavy squalls and high winds from early Monday morning through Monday afternoon with three or four inches of rain likely between Saturday afternoon and Monday evening. A storm surge of ten to twelve feet is possible on the west coast near the point of landfall.

Updates on track, timing and intensity are likely as the storm gets closer, and Hurricane Watches / Tropical Storm Warnings are likely later today from the National Hurricane Center.

New Tropical Depression 25 has formed south of Puerto Rico and it is moving to the west northwest and becoming better organized. This system will probably become Tropical Storm Alpha late Sunday or early Monday. This system should pass between Haiti and Cuba and turn northward into the southern Bahamas early next week.
ED