Tampa Bay Under Tropical Storm Warning, as Isaac Marches Toward Florida

Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are under a tropical storm warning, though Tampa Bay appears to be out of the cone of uncertainty, according to the National Weather Service.

At midnight Saturday, the storm crawled along the Cuban coast at about 17 mph, with winds at 60 mph.

The storm is trending west, as it marches toward the Florida Keys. Isaac is expected to reach Category 1 hurricane strength as it nears the Keys and churns over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

But National Weather Service maps now place the storm farther west than previously anticiapated, with Tampa Bay communities out of the cone of uncertainty – at least for now.

The storm's winds and rainfall extend for some 200 miles from the center of Isaac, so coastal communities will still feel the storm's impact.

The tropical storm warning for southwest Florida is from Bonita Beach to Tarpon Springs. But the latest projections put Isaac farther west, as it travels through the Gulf of Mexico, possibly making landfall in the Panhandle, according to the National Weather Service.

A tropical storm warning means that sometime in the next 36 hours tropical storm conditions are expected in the area.

Meanwhile, a tropical storm watch is in effect from Pasco County to the Florida Panhandle.

The following counties are under a tropical storm warning: Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte and Lee.

A hurricane warning is now in effect for offshore waters, from Bonia Beach in Lee County to Englewood in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.

Stay with Patch for updates as they become available.