NWS Will Hurricane Dorian hit West Palm Beach?
West Palm Beach, Florida is bracing for impact from Hurricane Dorian, and the National Weather Service is reporting that hurricane conditions are possible in that community on Tuesday and Wednesday (September 3 and 4, 2019).
(See our Sept. 2 update here.)
You can see the latest radar for West Palm Beach here. See the hourly weather forecast for South Florida here. See the National Hurricane Center’s Dorian update page here.
The eye of #Dorian has made a second landfall at 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) on Great Abaco Island near Marsh Harbour. Maximum sustained winds were 185 mph at the time. This is tied for the strongest Atlantic hurricane landfall on record with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane.
Here’s a roundup of the best sites to get updated spaghetti models for Dorian. At 3 p.m. on Sept. 1, the National Hurricane Center warned, “…EYE OF CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE DORIAN OVER THE ABACOS ISLANDS IN THE BAHAMAS… …HEADING WITH ALL ITS FURY TOWARD GRAND BAHAMA…” That update reported:
LOCATION…26.5N 77.1W
ABOUT 0 MI…0 KM OVER GREAT ABACO ISLAND
ABOUT 185 MI…295 KM E OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…185 MPH…295 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 270 DEGREES AT 7 MPH…11 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…911 MB…26.90 INCHES
The forecast cone at 2 p.m. on Sept. 1:
As of the morning of Sept. 1, Dorian was located “about 220 miles east of West Palm Beach, and beginning its assault on the Bahamas,” according to the Palm Beach Post. It’s a Category 5 storm. It’s not clear whether it will skim the Florida coast or make landfall there, but recent models have given some hope it won’t make a direct strike on Florida. Officials are taking no chances, though.
West Palm Beach County, Florida has issued mandatory evacuations for residential structures in some areas. See West Palm Beach evacuation information and maps here. “The eastern half of Palm Beach County is now under a Tropical Storm Warning due to the approach of #HurricaneDorian. Due to this, mandatory evacuations are being ordered for residential structures in Zone A and Zone B in Palm Beach County, effective at 1 P.M. Sunday, September 1,” the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
“Zone A includes mobile homes, sub-standard housing and low-lying areas prone to water intrusion,” the sheriff’s office continued. “Zone B generally includes the barrier islands, land areas north and south of the Jupiter Inlet, and other surge-vulnerable areas south along the Intracoastal Waterway to Broward.”
Here’s what you need to know:
West Palm Beach Will Possibly Start Getting Tropical Storm Conditions on Sunday Evening
At 11 am Hurricane Dorian’s max winds were 180 mph. Doiran is moving west @ 7 mph. The eye is starting to move over Great Abaco Island, & is 205 mi east of West Palm Beach FL. Very small shifts in the forecast track could bring the core of Dorian onto the coast from FL to NC.
Here’s the detailed weather forecast for West Palm Beach, Florida from NWS:
“This Afternoon (Sept. 1, 2019)
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 108. North wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9pm. Cloudy, with a low around 77. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Labor Day
Tropical storm conditions possible, with hurricane conditions also possible. A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 9am. High near 88. Heat index values as high as 102. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Monday Night
Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then showers likely between midnight and 3am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3am. Low around 76. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday
Hurricane conditions possible. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 87. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night
Hurricane conditions possible. Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9pm and midnight, then a chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday
Tropical storm conditions possible. A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 92. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 77. Southwest wind 9 to 11 mph.
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. West wind 8 to 11 mph.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 76.
Friday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
Friday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77.
Saturday
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.”
At 2 p.m, the National Weather Service gave these warnings and watches:
“SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for…
* North of Deerfield Beach to the Volusia/Brevard County Line
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* Northwestern Bahamas excluding Andros Island
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* Andros Island
* North of Deerfield Beach to the Volusia/Brevard County Line
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* North of Deerfield Beach to Sebastian Inlet
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
* North of Golden Beach to Deerfield Beach
* Lake Okeechobee
A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-
threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the
coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.
For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather
Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at
hurricanes.gov.
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area. Preparations to protect life and
property should be rushed to completion.
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours
before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force
winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or
dangerous.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected within the warning area within 36 hours.
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are
possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
Interests elsewhere along the east coast of Florida should continue
to monitor the progress of Dorian, as additional watches or
warnings may be required later today.”
READ NEXT: Latest Hurricane Dorian spaghetti models.