7:50PM
The 8PM intermediate advisory is out, and recon has confirmed Katrina moving more toward the west northwest. As the storm approaches Florida it will begin to slow down, it may be a long day Friday with high winds and lots of rain for South Florida, similar to Frances.

It hasn't strengthened all that much, but the dry air is almost gone, and it's entering into an area with warmer water temperatures, and shear is relaxing, so it has the potential to strengthen overnight.

(We and Skeetobite are looking for feedback on maps, let us know here)

Jim Williams, from Hurricane City and West Palm Beach, will be doing his live audio show tonight on hurricanecity. You can listen in beginning at 8PM EST here

4:30PM
A new tropical storm watch has been issued for the east-central Florida coast from north of Vero Beach northward to Titusville...including all of Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral. And also a tropical storm watch for most of the Keys, excluding Key West.

Hurricane Warnings will likely be put up late tonight for portions of the hurricane watch area.

The storm is getting better organized again, and probably will strengthen overnight. The NHC's track has it taking a hard left, and the elongation to the west and east would support such an idea. However, it hasn't made a strong westerly movement yet. Folks in the cone will want to continue to watch it. Folks in the watch areas and eventual Warning areas will need to prepare for a Category 1 system making landfall. Expect power outages.

Original Update
Tropical Storm Katrina has formed near the Bahamas.

Hurricane Watches are now up from Vero Beach southward to Florida City. It's now forecast that Katrina will be a minimal hurricane when it makes landfall in South Florida Tropical Storm Warnings are now up for portions of the east coast of Florida as well.

The forecast track remains similar, if not a more pronounced turn to the west as it nears south Florida.

More to Come soon...

Event Related Links
General Links
StormCarib hurricane reports from observers in the Islands
Caribbean Island Weather Reports
Color Sat of Gulf
RAMSDIS high speed visible Floater of Storms

Katrina

Visible Floater Satellite of Katrina
Visible Satellite Floater of Katrina with storm track overlays
Animated model plots of Katrina
Spaghetti Model Plot of Katrina from Colorado State
Bahamas Radar

Florida Keys Long Range Radar Loop
Miami, FL Long Range Radar
Melbourne, FL Long Range Radar

Forecast Discussions for (Show All Locations):
Miami, Key West, Melbourne

Invest 97L

NRL-Monterey Satellite Data on 97L
METEOSAT-8 imagery over Europe & Africa from the Univ. of Wisconsin
Animated model plots of 97L