Rainmaker Tropical Storm Julia Eyes South Carolina as Tropical Depression 12 Moves West

SARASOTA, FL — A storm over Florida’s northeast coast given no chance of developing Tuesday morning officially became the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s 10th named storm in the overnight hours. Tropical Storm Julia is now moving toward South Carolina as forecasters expect some strengthening.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are also continuing to track Tropical Storm Ian as newly formed Tropical Disturbance Twelve continues to move west. Two tropical disturbances are also under close watch by forecasters.

As of Wednesday evening, Tropical Storm Julia was located about 35 miles east of Savannah, Georgia. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving northeast at 6 mph.

"A slow and erratic motion is expected over the next couple of days," forecasters wrote in the hurricane center's 5 p.m. Wednesday Tropical Weather Outlook report. "Julia is likely to meander near the northern Georgia or South Carolina coastlines into Friday."

Forecasters initially expected Julia to weaken over the next day, but said "slight strengthening is possible during the next 48 hours," in the 5 p.m. Wednesday report. Tropical storm-force winds were extending outward up to 115 miles from the storm as of Wednesday evening.

Julie is a rainmaker, forecasters say. The storm is expected to bring rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, with local amounts nearing 6 inches, along the coastline of South Carolina and southeast North Carolina through Friday.

"This rainfall could lead to flooding and flash flooding" forecasters warned in Wednesday evening's update. Isolated tornadoes are also possible in the Charleston, South Carolina area, through Wednesday evening.

Tropical Storm Ian was located about 650 miles east of Bermuda as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and moving north at 17 mph. On its current projected path, Ian is expected to remain in the open Atlantic Ocean, posing no threat to the continental United States.

The latest storm on the scene is Tropical Depression Twelve. As of Wednesday at 5 p.m., the storm was located about 190 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and was moving west-northwest at 15 mph.

Forecasters anticipate the depression will gain strength in the overnight hours Wednesday or early Thursday and could become a tropical storm. If that pans out, the storm would earn the name Karl, making it the 11th named storm of the season.

On its current projected path, Tropical Depression Twelve is expected to head toward Puerto Rico over the next few days. It is too soon to tell if the storm will have an impact on Florida.

The fourth system under watch is a tropical wave that’s expected to move off the coast of Africa by late Friday. The storm is anticipated to move in a west-northwest direction. Although not even off the coast yet, forecasters have given the system a 50 percent chance of further development over the next five days.

A new disturbance has also cropped up in the Gulf of Mexico. The system is an weak are of low pressure that's producing showers and thunderstorms. As of Wednesday at 2 p.m., forecasters expected the storm to move westward toward the Texas coast. It has been given only a 10 percent chance of further development.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season peaks each year between mid-August and mid-October. While the season technically runs June 1 through Nov. 30, many of the major storms on record have occurred during the traditional eight-week peak.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation in the Tampa Bay area, read these related Patch stories:

• Atlantic Hurricane Season 2016's Peak is Now
• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season develops, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

Imagse courtesy of the National Hurricane Center