Isaac: The tropical storm poised to swell into a hurricane, maybe
Tropical Storm Isaac continues to churn in the Caribbean, making for a host of weather predictions for the start of the Republican National Convention -- from a hurricane strike to scattered showers to sunny and warm days.
Good luck packing, conventiongoers.
The convention gets underway on Monday in Tampa, Fla. And many people are already on their way, having made plans to get a jump on the fun with an early arrival in the Sunshine State.
Accuweather.com does a succinct job of describing just how befuddling the forecast appears: “Impacts from Isaac in Florida will depend on the strength, size and track of the system and will range from sunny, breezy and hot conditions to Category 1 or 2 hurricane effects.”
As a result, conventiongoers will be spending the next few days closely monitoring the weather.
The seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service doesn’t suggest any need for alarm. Monday is expected to bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to Tampa, as well as partly sunny skies, a high near 88 and a 40% chance of rain.
That said, Isaac is making its way over the Leeward Islands with sustained winds as high as 45 mph.
The storm’s approach prompted a delay of pretrial hearings for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other alleged top Al Qaeda operatives at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where attorneys, legal staff and the news media have started to evacuate. The storm is expected to hit the island this weekend.
Experts say it could potentially pick up intensity as it heads toward the U.S. It could also peter out as it reaches Florida -- or veer off the coast altogether.
“There is uncertainty with regards to the exact track and intensity of Isaac and as to whether or not Isaac will have direct impact on West Central and Southwest Florida,” the National Weather Service said.
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