TIMELINE: Idalia forecast to become major hurricane, most of region under tropical storm warning

ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Idalia continues to intensify and is forecast to become a major hurricane before making landfall in Florida.

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11 p.m. update

Idalia remains a tropical storm and is just below hurricane strength, Channel 9 certified meteorologist George Waldenberger said.

A radar from Cuba indicates a partial eyewall forming. Idalia is still forecast to be a major hurricane before landfall Wednesday morning.

As of 11 p.m., all warnings have replaced watches. Most Central Florida areas are now under tropical storm warnings except Sumter and Western Marion County, which are under hurricane warnings that carry over to the Gulf Coast, Waldenberger said.

10 p.m. update

The peak surge still puts a lot of ocean water into the west coast with warnings from southwest Florida, Channel 9 certified chief meteorologist Tom Terry said.

See his latest forecast below:

8:30 p.m. update

Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that tolls along Florida’s west coast will be suspended due to Tropical Storm Idalia.

See a list of the suspended tolls here.

7 p.m. update

Watches and warnings have been issued across Central Florida as Idalia is expected to become a major hurricane before landfall.

See a county-by-county breakdown below:

• Orange: Tropical storm warning
• Lake: Tropical storm warning
• Brevard: Tropical storm watch
• Sumter: Hurricane Warning
• West Marion: Hurricane warning
• Central Marion: Hurricane watch
• Eastern Marion: Tropical storm watch
• Polk: Tropical storm warning
• Osceola: Tropical storm warning
• Volusia: Tropical storm watch
• Flagler: Tropical storm watch

6:30 p.m. update

Universal Orlando Resort said its park operations are continuing as normal for now, but the resort is “closely monitoring the weather.”

6:15 p.m. update

Volusia County was hit hard by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole last September. Because they are still recovering, they are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Idalia, even though the county is not expected to get the brunt of it.

Read about their preparation efforts here.

READ: Volusia County prepares for Idalia while still recovering from Ian, Nicole

5:15 p.m. update

Meteorologist George Waldenberger said Idalia is not yet a hurricane, but is forecast to rapidly strengthen and become a major hurricane before it makes landfall.

As of 5 p.m., Idalia has winds of 70 mph.

Chief meteorologist Tom Terry said in Central Florida we can expect to start seeing rain squalls mid- to late-afternoon on Tuesday. He said overnight Wednesday until noon on Wednesday will be when we see the most impact.

Terry said the 5 p.m. track moved just a smidge to the west, but the forecasted impacts to Central Florida remain unchanged.

4:50 p.m. update

Lake County officials are providing an update on Tropical Storm Idalia preparations. Click here to watch the news conference live.

4:40 p.m. update

The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens has announced it will be closing at noon on Tuesday in preparation for Tropical Storm Idalia. The Zoo will remain closed Wednesday and hopes to reopen Thursday.

4:25 p.m. update

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Wednesday for more than half of the state, which includes Sumter, Marion, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties.

DeSantis warned this storm will be severe with power outages for areas in the storm’s path.

He said anyone in Idalia’s path, especially those in low-lying areas, should take shelter on higher ground instead of evacuating the state.

3:55 p.m. update

Gov. Ron DeSantis is in Levy County to provide an update on Tropical Storm Idalia preparations. Click here to watch it live.

2:55 p.m. update

SunRail announced it will suspend service on Tuesday due to Tropical Storm Idalia.

2:45 p.m. update

OneBlood is issuing an urgent call for blood donations before Tropical Storm Idalia makes landfall in Florida.

Officials said there is a need for all blood types, but there is an increased need for types O negative and O positive as well as platelets. Click here for more information.

Read: OneBlood issues urgent call for blood donations ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia

2:25 p.m. update

As Tropical Storm Idalia makes it way toward Florida, Central Florida school districts are monitoring the storm closely and deciding whether or not to cancel classes.

Marion and Lake counties have both announced closures so far due to the storm. Click here for a full county-by-county list.

Tracking Idalia: These Central Florida school districts are closing ahead of the storm

1:45 p.m. update

Gov. Ron DeSantis is providing an update on preparations for Tropical Storm Idalia from Pinellas County. You can click here to watch the update live.

12:40 p.m. update

Orange County leaders are planning to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. to share more information about storm preparations.

WFTV will have live coverage of Orange County’s updates on Channel 9 and at WFTV.com.

11:15 a.m. update

As of 11 a.m., Channel 9 meteorologist George Waldenberger said the track of Tropical Storm Idalia nudged slightly west. Hurricane and tropical storm storm surge warnings have been posted.

11 a.m. update

Sandbags are available across Central Florida today ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia. You can see a full list of locations here.

Read: Tracking Idalia: Where you can pick up sandbags in Central Florida today

10:25 a.m. update

Osceola County officials said they will provide an update on preparations for Tropical Storm Idalia at 11:30 a.m. on Monday. You can click here to watch the news conference live.

ORIGINAL STORY

Forecast data shows Idalia will be a Category 3 hurricane or stronger as it strikes the west coast of Florida.

Though Idalia is still a tropical storm, it is forecast to become a hurricane later Monday.

It’s still too early to tell where exactly Idalia will make landfall, but current models show it could be somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and Tampa Bay.

Read: Tracking Idalia: Where you can pick up sandbags in Central Florida this week

Idalia will bring life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds to parts of Florida.

The latest track from the National Hurricane Center as of Monday morning also shows Idalia shifting further to the east and closer to Central Florida.

Hurricane watches have been issued for parts of Marion and Sumter counties.

Read: DeSantis warns Floridians to be vigilant ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia impacts

Tropical Storm watches have been issued for Polk, Osceola, Lake, Orange and Seminole counties.

People in Florida need to keep a close eye on Idalia because systems approaching from the Gulf of Mexico can be difficult to predict.

If Idalia shifts more towards Central Florida, will we see widespread hurricane conditions.

Watch: Central Florida Spotlight: Tom Terry

Anyone who has not gathered hurricane supplies for their home should do so as soon as possible.

Hurricane and tropical storm conditions are likely to impact Central Florida on Wednesday.

Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:

• Chief meteorologist Tom Terry
• Kassandra Crimi
• George Waldenberger
• Brian Shields

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