Tropical Depression Beta parks over Texas; here’s what we’re watching near Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — The very active weeks in the tropics are behind us but it doesn’t mean we should let our guard down. There are 3 storms we are monitoring and a low-pressure system located near Cuba which we are monitoring closer, as it can enhance our rain chances this upcoming weekend.

BOUNCING BETWEEN FRONTS: WATCHING A SYSTEM NEAR CUBA

An area of disorganized thunderstorms has moved from South Florida now over northern Cuba. This system has a low chance of developing into a tropical system, but there is still a high chance for periods of heavy rain over the Florida Keys and South Florida on Thursday and Friday.

LOCAL WEATHER: Autumn kicks off with less humidity, breezy conditions and a low rain chance

This system does not have a high chance of surviving as a tropical system through the weekend but its moisture will be pushed back toward Central Florida by a warm front that will enhance shower and thunderstorm activity on Friday and Saturday. By Saturday, the warm front will lose its punch and become stationary close enough to continue to bring instability on Sunday.

The next close front on Monday, will kick off all the moisture away from Florida and likely bring another shot of cooler air and breezy conditions starting on Tuesday.

So this disturbance to the southwest of #Florida is caught up in a pinball game, with fronts bouncing the storm clusters. I doubt it will develop.. but the moisture is not letting go. Heavy periods of rain will shift northward later this week. pic.twitter.com/ibtrYtnkh2
— Irene Sans (@IreneSans) September 22, 2020

That's NINE storms making landfall in the US this season. Florida (peninsular) has been VERY lucky. https://t.co/pZOHoFMAyC
— Irene Sans (@IreneSans) September 22, 2020

TROPICAL DEPRESSION BETA

Beta made landfall last night around 10 p.m. near the end of the Matagorda Peninsula. It has brought constant rain for parts of southeastern Texas.

Read: How to prepare yourself for a hurricane

Beta continues to slowly weaken and is not a tropical depression.

The storm continues to crawl, and its center has been near the same position overnight. It will park near the central coast of Texas all day today, change direction tonight, and move to the east-northeast. This change in direction will also help it gain some speed.

As Beta is parked just east of Victoria, Texas, the system will be weakening further in the next 24 hours.

RAINFALL

For the middle and upper Texas coast, additional rainfall of 6 to 12 inches with isolated storm totals up to 20 inches is expected. Significant flash and urban flooding is occurring and will continue today.

Read: New to Florida? 9 helpful tips to get you through a hurricane

Rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches are expected northward into the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas region and east into the Lower Mississippi Valley through the end of the week. Flash and urban flooding is possible, as well as isolated minor river flooding.

STORM SURGE

Storm surge could also be life-threatening, especially during high tide cycles along the eastern Texas and Louisiana coasts. Up to 4 feet of storm surge is expected along the eastern Texas coast.

Here is a look at Cameron, Louisiana earlier this morning. This picture was sent to me by one of our crowdfunding supporters. The flooding is a result of the constant onshore flow from Beta. @robperillo pic.twitter.com/YCciQZidG5
— Mark Sudduth (@hurricanetrack) September 22, 2020

Many bayous have become completely flooded since yesterday, especially those near Galveston Bay and its surroundings due to the motion of the storm, pushing water inland and the rainfall has continued to be very persistent at times.

TORNADOES

Isolated tornadoes are also possible over eastern Texas. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

HURRICANE TEDDY

Teddy is a very large hurricane, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 400 miles.

Since passing just east of Bermuda the storm has picked up in speed. Weather will quickly deteriorate across eastern Canada. High winds, clouds, and storm surge along Nove Scotia starting tonight, where the system is expected to make landfall early Wednesday morning.

Teddy will transition to a post-tropical cyclone on Tuesday. This just means that its wind field will continue to expand well away from its center.

Large swells across the eastern United States, Bermuda, Bahamas and the northern Caribbean will continue.

PAULETTE IS ALIVE!

The rest of what was Hurricane Paulette and that has been meandering over the northern Atlantic has become better organized and it is now a tropical storm south of the Azores Islands.

This system is forecast to continue moving east toward Europe, between 10 to 15 mph. By Wednesday, it will be weakening and making a sharp U-turn back near to the position it is in on Tuesday, by the weekend. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯