NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Hurricane Idalia continues intensify as it moves north Tuesday evening. The newest forecast has the storm as a category 4 at landfall with winds of 130 mph. We are seeing that rapid intensification phase take place as it moves over the extremely warm waters of the eastern Gulf.
The flow around Idalia will mean lower humidity for our area. Dewpoints will drop into the 50s and 60s. That combined with a northerly breeze in the teens with gusts in the twenties means the high fire danger will continue across the area. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the northern and western areas through Wednesday. Remember that outdoor burning is still not allowed.
Temperatures will warm into the mid 90s Wednesday and Thursday with almost no rain chance. It won’t feel too bad thanks to the low humidity.
By Friday and the weekend moisture starts to come back into the area. This will mean a return to showers and storms popping up as temperatures warm close to 90. Expect a decent coverage of storms Friday through Sunday.
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