SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Wednesday afternoon was partly sunny, hot, and breezy all thanks to Hurricane Erin being located about 450 miles off of our coast.

Similar conditions will be setting up for Thursday afternoon. Highs will reach the lower to middle 80s.

A few afternoon showers or storms are possible. Rough surf and rip current will remain an issue for Thursday and Friday with Erin slowly pulling away from the United States. 

Our high tide cycles will remain above normal through Friday. Minor saltwater flooding is possible in low lying areas. Beach erosion will remain an issue due to the rough surf and higher tides.

Higher rain and storm chances are expected for Friday and into the weekend as a frontal boundary will be able to move southward as Hurricane Erin moves northeast.

Afternoon highs will be below normal in the mid 80s with scattered showers and storms during this time. 

A drier and hotter pattern will briefly set up for Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Temperatures though will drop again into the 80s by Wednesday as a front is able to move through on Tuesday. A drier and cooler airmass will settle by Wednesday.

TRACKING THE TROPICS

Hurricane Erin was able to regain some strength Wednesday afternoon. It has sustained wild on 110 mph as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Erin is currently forecast to possibly achieve major hurricane status tonight or early Thursday.

This is when the storm will make its closest approach to eastern North Carolina producing high surf and a storm surge.

Tropical storm winds are expected for the Outer Banks and coastal Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey Erin will continue to move northerly over the next day or so before making a northeast turn by Friday.

Over the weekend, it will be moving well away from the eastern seaboard posing no additional threats to the U.S.

MORE DEVELOPMENT

The NHC continues to monitor more possible development in the Atlantic from two tropical waves that we have been tracking.

A tropical wave in the central Atlantic now has a HIGH (70%) chance of developing into the season’s next tropical depression or tropical storm.

It is beginning to move northwesterly and is forecast to largely miss the Northern Leeward Islands.

This forecast means that it will stay far away from the east coast of the U.S. There is no threat to the U.S. from this system at this time.

The second tropical wave being monitored for further development is still located just southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. This system is a broad area of low pressure producing some convective thunderstorms.

Currently the development chances for it to become either a tropical depression or tropical storm over the next 5-7 days in MEDIUM (40%). We expect this system to remain farther south than the path taken by Erin and the first tropical wave.

This means that the Caribbean Islands may experience impacts from a tropical system sometime next week. There is no threat to the U.S. at this time.