TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Our Max Defender 8 Meteorologists have often said the Tampa Bay area is on the “dirty side” of Hurricane Idalia, but what exactly does that mean?
Along the Gulf Coast of Florida, the “dirty side” of the hurricane is on the east side, Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Eric Stone said.
“Water is going to be pushed counter clockwise onto our coastlines from Sarasota all the way to Pinellas and even in Citrus County,” Stone said. “If you’re on the east side of a storm, typically you get a little bit more in the way of rain.”
Typically that’s where the isolated tornadoes will pop up, along with more rainfall, wind and storm surge, according to Stone.
When the rain bands over water come on shore, the friction of land causes spin up, which can lead to the isolated tornadoes, Stone said.
Hurricane Idalia
Idalia is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida on Wednesday morning as a Category 3 major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of an 8 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said Idalia is about 155 miles west-southwest of Tampa, moving north around 16 mph. The storm’s wind speeds have increased to 105 mph.