AccuWeather released a stunning satellite video Monday of Tropical Storm Idalia gaining strength over the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a slew of warnings Monday and Tuesday regarding the storm, which is anticipated to ramp up energy and turn into a hurricane in the coming days. Though it is not set to make landfall until Wednesday, NWS and other authorities are telling residents in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas to prepare now, as the system poses “life-threatening” hazards to the entire region.
The satellite imagery shared by AccuWeather is just a few seconds long, but shows countless bursts of lightning emerging from the storm system over the course of just a few hours.
A satellite loop captured luminous bursts of lightning within #Idalia as it gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico. ⚡🌀 pic.twitter.com/urLU9OIm1j
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) August 28, 2023
Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer shared another video of a red morning sky over Cedar Key, Florida, where a mandatory evacuation is already in place as of 4:00 p.m. Tuesday. (RELATED: Haunting Video From Tampa Shows Ocean Disappearing)
Red sky in the morning ahead of Hurricane Idalia in Cedar Key, FL. Mandatory evacuations at 4 pm today. 8-12’ storm surge expected throughout the concave Citrus Coast. Coverage for @accuweather pic.twitter.com/O6F7l4sJkF
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerAccu) August 29, 2023
An 8- to 12-foot storm surge is forecast to carve its way up the Citrus Coast, Timmer noted. Storm chaser and weather enthusiast Treyce Jones shared radar imagery of Idalia, revealing her pressure is down to 979 mb, suggesting a rapid intensification of storm activity Tuesday and through the rest of the week. The system is one of many that could turn into a major threat to life as the end of hurricane season continues.