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Tropical Storm Julia Expected To Lash Central America With Flooding, Wind Damage

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Weather Channel: Tropical Storm Julia, A Flooding Hurricane Danger To Central America

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Tropical Storm Julia will become a hurricane and inland flood threat to Central America this weekend into early next week.

Julia became the tenth named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season late Friday morning, about two weeks later than the "J" storm arrives in an average season.

Julia is not expected to be a threat to the United States, but is a danger for Central America. Here's what you need to know.

Current Status, Watches, Warnings
Tropical Storm Julia is moving quickly west toward the Nicaraguan coast.

Hurricane warnings are now in effect for parts of the central Nicaraguan coast and for the Colombian islands of San Andres, Providencia and the Santa Catalina Islands near Nicaragua. This is where hurricane conditions are expected by Saturday evening, and tropical storm force winds could arrive this afternoon. A hurricane watch is now in effect along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua from Puerto Cabezas north to the Honduran border. This means hurricane conditions are possible Sunday morning, with tropical storm force winds moving in by Saturday night.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and watches for a part of the Honduras Caribbean coast from the border with Nicaragua to Punta Patuca. Tropical storm conditions are possible in this area Sunday morning. Tropical storm watches and warnings have also been issued for the Pacific coasts of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, where tropical storm conditions are possible in this area by late Sunday.

Julia's Threats
Heavy rain will be Julia's biggest threat over Central America beginning this weekend and lasting into next week as its remnant moves inland.

Parts of Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama could pick up up to 15 inches of rain this weekend into early next week, according to the National Hurricane Center. This could trigger life-threatening flash flooding and landslides in areas of hilly or mountainous terrain.

Additional heavy rain will also spread into parts of Guatemala, Belize and southern Mexico which could also trigger flash flooding early next week. This rain may last well after Julia dissipates over Central America.

Where It's Headed And How Strong
Julia will organize and strengthen over the warm western Caribbean Sea under lighter wind shear. We expect Julia to become a hurricane later today.

High pressure aloft will expand westward, acting like a gate, keeping the system from entering the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Therefore, we do not expect the system to pose a threat to the U.S. Gulf Coast. However, that high pressure aloft will steer Julia toward the coast of Central America, with a landfall expected most likely in Nicaragua. A small portion of the Nicaraguan coast will receive hurricane conditions close to this landfall.[/quote[
 
(Yahoo News) Hurricane Julia had top winds estimated at 85 mph when the eye crossed the Nicaraguan coast overnight. The system will quickly weaken as the system encounters the mountainous terrain in Central America. The biggest threat going forward is flash flooding and mudslides, as the high elevations enhance the potential for torrential tropical rainfall. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting up to 15 inches of rain in isolated spots in Nicaragua and El Salvador and lesser but still dangerous amounts in the surrounding countries.

The open question is whether Julia will make it across Central America in one piece. Most often, the tall mountains disrupt the low-level circulations of tropical systems, but in this case, the land mass is not very wide where Julia is trying to cross.

Warnings and watches are in effect for the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala in case Julia is still intact when it gets there. The threat would be for tropical-storm-force winds.

Julia will keep its name in the Pacific if the circulation survives the trip across the mountains. However, the upper-level winds are forecast to become hostile soon after the storm or what’s left of it arrives in the Pacific. So, in any case, it is not expected to be around for long.

Elsewhere in the tropics, the weather pattern over the tropical Atlantic has taken on a winter-time look, with hostile upper-level winds blowing from the Caribbean to the African coast. So no development is expected there.

The consensus of the long-range computer forecast models is that a strong cold front will push through Florida late in the week. Although we’re always suspicious of predicted frontal passages in South Florida this early in October, it can happen. In any case, the front and its associated hostile upper winds should protect the U.S. through next weekend, at least.

There are no signs that any new systems are in the works.
 
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