TS Andrea Intensifies Before Florida

Projection chart for Tropical Storm Andrea by INSMET.

HAVANA TIMES — Tropical Storm Andrea, the first of the hurricane season, intensified over night as it moves on a course towards the Florida Big Bend where it is expected to reach the coast later Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami has also issued a tornado warning for central and southern Florida.

Cuba is not expected to be affected by Andrea.

The storm now packs 60 mph (95 kph) winds and has a 997 millibars minimum central pressure, while moving north-northeast at a speed of 14 mph (22 kph)

At 6:00 a.m. (EST) the eye of Andrea was located by the Cuban Weather Service (INSMET) at 267 kilometers (166 miles) south-southwest of Apalachicola and 330 kilometers (205 miles) west of Tampa, both on the Florida peninsula.

The next report on Tropical Storm Andrea from INSMET is due at 6 pm.