…ETA CONTINUES TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA…

… A Storm Surge Warning continues from Bonita Beach to Suwanee River Florida, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.
…A Storm Surge Watch continues from the Steinhatchee River to Suwannee River, Fla.
The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in these areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…
– Anclote River to Boca Grande, FL incl. Tampa Bay…3-5 ft
– Boca Grande, FL to Bonita Beach, FL including Charlotte
Harbor…2-4 ft
– Steinhatchee River to Anclote River…2-4 ft
– Bonita Beach to Flamingo…1-2 ft

… A Tropical Storm Warning continues for Bonita Beach to Suwannee River, Fla. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the watch area along the Florida west coast this evening through early Thursday.

… A Tropical Storm Watch continues from north of the Suwannee River to the Aucilla River, Fla. Tropical Storm conditions are possible in the watch area by Thursday.

A few tornadoes are possible through tonight over parts of western and central Florida.

Interests elsewhere along the Gulf Coast of Florida should monitor the progress of Eta. For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office – www.weather.gov

At 7 p.m. EST, the center of Tropical Storm Eta was located off the west coast of Florida about 45 miles (70 km) west of St. Petersburg. Eta is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue
overnight, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast and northeast Thursday morning. On the forecast track, the center of Eta will move closer to but just offshore of the west-central coast of Florida tonight, and move inland over the northern portion of the Florida peninsula on Thursday. Eta is expected to move northeastward into the western Atlantic late Thursday and early Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the center. During the past couple of hours, a C-MAN observing station at Venice Beach measured a sustained wind of 47 mph (76 km/h). A Weatherflow site at the Skyway fishing pier recently reported a sustained wind of 43 mph (69 km/h) and a gust to 55 mph (89 km/h). Another Weatherflow site at Clam Bayou Nature Preserve, near St. Petersburg, just reported a gust of 51 mph (82 km/h). Slow weakening is expected as Eta approaches the west coast of Florida tonight, followed by rapid weakening after landfall occurs on Thursday.

Eta is expected to produce the following rainfall totals:
– West and central Florida, through Thursday: 2 to 4 inches, with maximum storm total accumulations of 6 inches.
– North and South Florida, through Thursday: An additional 1 to 2 inches, with isolated maximum storm total accumulations of 4 inches, in North Florida and 20 inches in South Florida.

Flash and river flooding will be possible in western Cuba through Wednesday, along with landslides in areas of higher terrain. Additional flash and urban flooding will be possible in South Florida through Thursday, especially across previously inundated areas. Flash,urban, and isolated minor river flooding is expected across portions of West and North Florida through Thursday.

The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 10 p.m. EST – www.hurricanes.gov