LIVE BLOG: Major Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - We are now in wall-to-wall live coverage of Hurricane Idalia on WCTV. Tune in for the latest information on-air, online through our website live stream, or on the WCTV Facebook live stream. Do not rely on this blog for further updates.

Wednesday, August 28, 11:30 AM: Idalia is now a Category 1 storm.

Hurricane Idalia will continue weakening as it exits south-central Georgia and races off to the Carolina coastline. It will impact the Carolinas as a tropical storm before making a beeline to the open Atlantic Ocean.

Wednesday, August 28, 7:45 AM: The National Hurricane Center announced Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 Hurricane near Keaton Beach on Florida’s Gulf coast with 125mph winds in that tiny core and 949mb central pressure.

Wednesday, August 28, 7 AM: Hurricane Idalia downgraded back to a Category 3, but this is still serious. If you haven’t already taken cover, NOW is the time to stay put. Winds are picking up and the storm is expected to arrive in the next hour.

Wednesday, August 28, 5 AM: The National Hurricane Center has officially upgraded Idalia to a category 4 storm.

Tuesday, August 28, 11:00 PM: The National Hurricane Center’s new advisory has a 5 mph increase near landfall, which NOW means a category 4 landfall is possible. Remember, these are estimated peak sustained winds. Gusts will be higher. Here is the updated track.

LIVE coverage of news and weather is underway on WTCV, WCTV.tv and on the WCTV News App.

Tuesday, August 29 5:00 PM: Idalia is now a category 2 with winds of 100 mph. Pressure has dropped to 972mb. Movement is north at 16 mph. The latest track has shifted slightly west. The new advisory also suggests that the Category 1 strength may stick around through south Georgia. IF YOU ARE UNDER A HURRICANE WARNING IN THE BIG BEND AND SOUTH GEORGIA, YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. Here is the latest cone.

Tuesday, August 29 2:00 PM: Idalia has strengthened into a high-end Category 1 hurricane. This will likely strengthen into a Category 2. Winds are 90 mph right now, category 2 winds are 96 mph.

We will continue to have updates throughout the day and will have team coverage throughout the evening and into the overnight.

Tuesday, August 29 11:00 AM: There is high confidence that Hurricane Idalia will make landfall in the Big Bend of Florida on Wednesday morning. The approximate time of landfall will be sometime between 8 am-10 am. Impacts will begin to be felt before then.

Ensure you finish up your final preparations by midnight tonight. Attached below is the latest advisory and forecast track from the National Hurricane Center:

Tuesday, August 29 5:00 AM: Idalia has strengthened into a hurricane. Hurricane Idalia is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane along the southeast Big Bend of Florida. The timing of landfall looks to be just a tad later, most likely sometime later Wednesday morning. Impacts will begin late Tuesday night.

Here is the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center:

Monday, August 28 11:00 PM: Idalia remains a tropical storm heading into Monday evening. Winds are staying just shy of hurricane force winds as of the 11:00 PM advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Although there are no changes in the intensity of Idalia, there has been another shift in the cone. Once again a southeast shift with the latest cone of uncertainty. The latest cone is roughly from St. Marks and to just south of Cedar Key.

We are expecting some strengthening heading into Tuesday, where Idalia will likely become a hurricane. We are expecting impacts to our area by Wednesday overnight and Wednesday morning.

Monday, August 28 5:00 PM: Idalia is approaching hurricane strength but is not quite there with winds of 70 mph as of the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center. The bigger change is a westward shift with both consensus models and the global models. This has led to an expansion of hurricane and tropical storm warnings.

Monday, August 28 2:00 PM: Idalia has strengthened to a high-end tropical storm with sustained winds up to 70 mph. Movement is still very slow at 8 mph and the pressure has dropped to 987 MB. Additional strengthening is expected and should reach category status by this afternoon.

Monday, August 28 11:00 AM: Idalia is still a strong tropical storm with winds at 65 mph according to the latest advisory. Pressure has slightly decreased to 990mb. Idalia is expected to become a hurricane this afternoon.

The only change to the forecast cone is a more slim cone as forecast confidence continues to increase. The forecast track remains the same.

We are expecting tropical storm to hurricane force winds to reach the area within the next 36 hours. NEW alerts are in place because of that. All of our coastal big bend counties are under a hurricane warning (red shade). This means hurricane conditions (74 mph+ winds) are expected in the next 36 hours. The orange is a tropical storm warning, where winds 39 to 73 mph are expected.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for Thomas and Brooks County where a tropical storm conditions possible in the next 48 hours. A hurricane warning our Georgia counties near I-75.

Storm surge warnings are also in effect for coastal Jefferson, Wakulla, and Taylor counties where maximum storm storm could be 7 to 11 feet, that is worst case scenario.

Monday, August 28 5:00 AM: Idalia is now expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. Any hurricane with a category 3 designation or higher is considered a major hurricane.

The forecast track remains very similar to our last advisory. Hurricane watches are now up for all of our southeastern Big Bend counties. A tropical storm watch is up for Leon, Wakulla, and Jefferson counties.

Attached below is the 5am advisory from the National Hurricane Center:

Sunday, August 27 11:00 PM: The evening advisory for Idalia is out and considerable strengthening has occurred, winds are now up to 60 mph and pressure has dropped to 992mb. The storm has somewhat stalled and is stationary.

A big reason that Idalia has been able to maintain strength is lack of wind shear and staying over very warm waters in the western Caribbean. Winds are expected to reach hurricane force by Monday, winds at or above 74 mph. As of the 11:00 PM advisory, landfall is possible from Apalachee Bay to Tampa Bay.

The latest track is slightly east too, which is great news. Why? That means the highest impacts look to be closer to I-75 and eastern areas. I am still expecting tropical storm force winds for the big bend area, which are winds 39 mph or greater.

It is important to note that the cone represents the potential storm center. It does not represent the size of the storm. Tropical storm force winds can be felt over 100 miles away from the cyclone’s center.

Storm surge will be highest for folks closer to the center of the storm and onshore winds.

Sunday, August 27 - 5:00 PM: Idalia is starting a northward path very slowly at 3 mph. According to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center winds are 40 mph with Tropical Storm Idalia and pressure is down to 996mb.

The latest advisory has a stronger storm making landfall, a category 2 with winds to 100 mph. A big reason for a trend toward a stronger storm is the fact that Idalia had little to no land interaction with the Yucatan peninsula. Staying over the water has allowed the storm to maintain strength.

It will be important to see how Idalia behaves in the next 12 to 24 hours, the storm may trend stronger and it may trend weaker. It will be important to keep informed about the changes ahead.

Given the confidence of a stronger storm and impacts to the Big Bend, the National Weather Service has issued a Hurricane Watch for Lafayette and Taylor counties, also for coastal Jefferson, Wakulla, Franklin and Gulf counties.

Sunday, August 27 - 11:15 AM: As expected, we now have Tropical Storm Idalia. No change in forecast track or intensity from the update 15 minutes ago, only an adjustment in current pressure and wind speed.

Here is the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center:

Sunday, August 27 - 11:00 AM: Tropical Depression 10 will be upgraded to Tropical Storm Idalia later today. The pressure within the storm is dropping, which is indicative of strengthening. As of 11am the sustained winds were still at 35 mph.

Soon-to-be Tropical Storm Idalia will continue to meaner in the northwestern Caribbean Sea before taking a sharp turn to the north by Monday morning. It will then quickly travel up the Gulf of Mexico and continue strengthening. It is likely to become a hurricane by Tuesday.

Idalia will likely impact the Gulf Coast of Florida as a hurricane. The forecast cone and computer models will continue to adjust to the east and west as new data comes in. Take today and Monday to check and restock your hurricane supply kit. Have a hurricane plan in place for if and when it will need to be carried out.

Here is the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center:

Sunday, August 27 - 5:00 AM: Tropical Depression 10 continues to meander near the Yucatan in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. This trend is expected to continue through Sunday night. During this time, it may strengthen into a tropical storm. When this happens, it will be named Tropical Storm Idalia.

On Monday, this storm will turn to the north and quickly move up the Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to strengthen into at least a Category 1 hurricane before impacting the Florida Gulf Coast.

The timing for this system still falls sometime between late Tuesday into Wednesday morning and afternoon.

Here is the most recent forecast advisory from the National Hurricane Center:

Saturday, August 26 - 11:00 PM: Tropical Depression Ten has made little movement since this afternoon. Current movement is southwest at 2 mph. The center of circulation has lost a lot of the convection, shower and storms that surround it. It also appears that the circulation is moving toward the Yucatan Peninsula. If the low moves over land (as we expected) this will slow down the strengthening process. As of the 11:00 pm advisory from the National Hurricane Center, winds have increased to 35 mph, tropical storm force winds are 39 - 73 mph.

Tropical Depression Ten could strengthen into a tropical storm as soon as Sunday. We think that Sunday will be a big day in telling how this tropical disturbance behaves into next week. With very warm waters and little shear east of the Yucatan, I would not be shocked for continuous strengthening as long as it stays over water.

The x-factor is wind shear present in the Gulf of Mexico. 25 to 40 knot shear is evident and may initially slow down development despite the warm waters.

By Monday or Tuesday we could be looking at conditions becoming more favorable for more rapid development. Data suggests a category 1 storm in the Gulf by Tuesday morning. Model data continues to suggest a Category 1 landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast.

Winds will also lead to increase rip current risk, especially Tuesday and Wednesday.

Saturday, August 26 - 5:00 PM: Tropical Depression Ten has developed east of the Yucatan Peninsula. Winds are 30 mph and the depression is barely moving as of the Saturday 5:00 pm advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Ten is expected to strengthen into a Tropical storm by early next week and may reach hurricane strength by Tuesday. A storm must achieve winds 74 mph or greater to become a hurricane.

Landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast is likely by midweek. This is the FIRST cone issued by the National Hurricane Center and changes are expected with the cone of uncertainty over the next several days. It is still too early to get into specific impacts, so it will be important to stay weather aware and join the WCTV First Alert Weather Team over the next several days.

Will will continue to make make updates on this page! You can also track the tropics at our Hurricane Headquarters page.

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