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FORT MYERS, Fla- The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical depression advisories at 11am on the tropical wave headed our way. Forecast paths put the center of this disturbed system through the Florida Straigts bringing mostly rain and wind to Southwest Florida Friday and Saturday. It will move out by Sunday. Stay with the WINK News team of Skytracker Meteorolgists for the latest developments. 

WINK News meteorologists have recently posted the following, which can also be found on the WINK News weather blog:

Brian: Tropical storm warning Bonita Beach southward... Bonnie likely later today...

• Wind: Sustained 15-20 mph, gusts to near tropical storm force across Collier County
• Tides: Below normal for the Gulf beaches, above normal for the Bays
• Rain: 1-3", locally higher amounts in Collier County

Tropical Depression #3 Has Formed in the Atlantic

At 11am this morning, Tropical Depression #3 formed in the Atlantic near the Bahamas. The depression is currently 405 miles east-southeast of Key Largo, Florida with maximum sustained winds at 35 mph. Movement of Tropical Depression #3 is to the west-northwest at 15 mph with an increase in forward speed likely within the next 48 hours.

An Air Force Reconnaissance plane is currently en route to investigate the system which may strengthen to a tropical storm later today. Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for the Florida East Coast from Golden Beach southward including the Keys and along the West Coast northward to Bonita Beach. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the warned area within 36 hours.

The full text of the advisory from the National Hurricane Center is below:

TROPICAL DEPRESSION THREE ADVISORY NUMBER 1

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL032010

1100 AM EDT THU JUL 22 2010

...TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS IN THE BAHAMAS...AIR FORCE

RECONNAISSANCE PLANE EN ROUTE...

SUMMARY OF 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION

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LOCATION...21.9N 75.0W

ABOUT 265 MI...425 KM SE OF NASSAU

ABOUT 405 MI...655 KM ESE OF KEY LARGO FLORIDA

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...35 MPH...55 KM/HR

PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 295 DEGREES AT 15 MPH...24 KM/HR

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1008 MB...29.77 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

--------------------

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WARNING

FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST

FROM GOLDEN BEACH SOUTHWARD INCLUDING THE ENTIRE FLORIDA KEYS AND

FLORIDA BAY...AND ALONG THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA NORTHWARD TO

BONITA BEACH.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA

FROM NORTH OF GOLDEN BEACH TO JUPITER INLET INCLUDING LAKE

OKEECHOBEE.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...

* CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS

* FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM GOLDEN BEACH SOUTHWARD INCLUDING

THE ENTIRE FLORIDA KEYS AND FLORIDA BAY...AND ALONG THE WEST COAST

OF FLORIDA NORTHWARD TO BONITA BEACH

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IN IN EFFECT FOR...

* THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA NORTH OF GOLDEN BEACH TO JUPITER INLET

INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE

EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE

POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED

STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE

MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE

UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK

------------------------------

AT 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF NEWLY FORMED TROPICAL

DEPRESSION THREE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE

75.0 WEST. THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR

15 MPH...24 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD

SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH...55 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER

GUSTS. THE DEPRESSION COULD BECOME A TROPICAL STORM LATER TODAY.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1008 MB...29.77 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

----------------------

WIND...WINDS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE ALREADY AFFECTING

PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS

WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS

TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO DETERIORATE ON

THE FLORIDA COAST AND FLORIDA KEYS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA ON

FRIDAY.

RAINFALL...THE DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN

ACCUMULATIONS OF OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER SOUTH FLORIDA...WITH

POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 6 INCHES. RAINFALL

AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE CENTRAL AND

NORTHWEST BAHAMAS...WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 7

INCHES.

STORM SURGE...STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 1 TO

2 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL OVER PORTIONS OF THE BAHAMAS AND THE

FLORIDA KEYS.

NEXT ADVISORY

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NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...200 PM EDT.

NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...500 PM EDT.