Subtropical Storm Nicole is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm Tuesday and could become a hurricane later this week, with landfall somewhere between Miami and Cape Canaveral, according to The Palm Beach Post.
As of an early Tuesday National Hurricane Center advisory, Nicole was about 385 miles east-northeast of the northwestern Bahamas and 520 miles east of Melbourne Beach, Florida. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving west-northwest at 8 mph.
“Nicole is expected to make a transition to a tropical storm later today and begin strengthening, and it is forecast to be near or at hurricane strength by Wednesday and Wednesday night while it is moving near the northwestern Bahamas and approaching the east coast of Florida,” forecasters said.
The NHC issued a hurricane warning for much of Florida’s east coast.
From Palm Beach to Jacksonville, NHC also declared a storm surge warning.
“Numerous life-threatening rip currents will continue. The strong winds and high surf will combine with ongoing high astronomical tides to bring significant storm surge and major beach erosion around the times of the next several high tide cycles from Tuesday through Thursday.
“Coastal areas of Volusia County which suffered serious damage from Hurricane Ian remain particularly vulnerable to additional beach erosion and inundation from coastal flooding,” the National Weather Service said.
NHC’s storm surge forecasts a 3 to 5 feet surge north of Palm Beach to Jacksonville.
On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a State of Emergency for 34 counties in the storm’s projected path, including Central Florida.
We pointed out on Sunday that the end of November marks the close of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. Nicole could be one of the last systems of the season.
