Val Simpson

Weathercaster in SWFL | Emmy nominated Journalist | Boy Mom | Gastronaut (exploring food like an astronaut) | Argenta

[Diego @alfadeco23]

Hola, meteoróloga favorita!! ☀️🇦🇷⚽️ que tengas una muy Feliz Navidad! 🎉💐🙏🏾😇 @ValSimpsonWx

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

#MELISSA expected to make landfall in Jamaica as a powerful CAT 5 Hurricane Monday night into Tuesday morning.

#PrayForJamaica

#Jamaica: Do not venture out of your safe shelter. Catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides. Destructive winds will result in infrastructural damage, long-lasting power and communication outages, and isolated communities. Life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected along the southern coast.

#Haiti and the #DominicanRepublic: Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are expected across
southwestern Haiti and southern portions of the Dominican Republic. In Haiti, extensive infrastructural damage and isolation of communities is likely. Tropical storm conditions are expected late Tuesday and Wednesday.

Eastern #Cuba: Heavy rainfall and
potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides is expected beginning today. Life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds are
expected late Tuesday and Tuesday night. Preparations should be
rushed to completion.

Southeast #Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos: Hurricane conditions, life-threatening storm surge, and heavy rainfall are possible on
Wednesday. Residents should follow advice given by local officials and be sure to have preparations complete by Tuesday night.

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

SATURDAY PM | TROPICAL UPDATE:

Hurricane Melissa’s slow movement will bring a multi-day period of damaging winds and heavy rainfall for Jamaica beginning tonight, likely causing catastrophic flash flooding, numerous landslides, extensive infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication
outages, and potentially prolonged isolation of communities. A
life-threatening storm surge is also likely along portions of the
southern coast early next week. All preparations should be completed
today.

Catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are expected across southwestern Haiti into early next week, likely causing extensive infrastructural damage and
potentially prolonged isolation of communities. Strong winds could
also potentially last for a day or more over the Tiburon peninsula.

Heavy rainfall could produce potentially
catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides in southern
regions of the Dominican Republic.

Eastern Cuba, Southeast Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos:
Monitor Melissa closely. There is an increasing risk of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall by the middle of next week.

In eastern Cuba, the risk of life-threatening flash flooding and landslides is increasing.

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

FRIDAY AM TROPICAL UPDATE:

Melissa is STATIONARY over the warm waters of the Caribbean. It’s expected to become a hurricane by Sunday and then rapidly intensify to CAT 4 hurricane by Monday.

Hurricane Watches and Tropical Storm Warnings issued for portions of Haiti and Jamaica.

Over the weekend, Melissa will be dumping tons of rain over areas of Haiti , Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Over 12” of rainfall is expected for certain areas. This could potentially result in dangerous flash flooding and landslides.

Florida is protected by a strong front that will push south and act as a barrier. The same front is also associated with possibly steering Melissa from the Caribbean into the Atlantic.

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

Melissa continues to crawl along at a slow pace, steadily gaining strength. The storm is feeding off above-average sea surface temperatures, which are helping it intensify.

The National Hurricane Center now expects Melissa to reach Category 4 strength by Monday.

Melissa is expected to produce heavy rainfall across portions of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica through this weekend, bringing a risk of flash flooding and numerous landslides.

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

TUESDAY AM | TROPICAL UPDATE:

Invest 98L is showing more signs of organization in the Caribbean and it could become Tropical Storm Melissa later today.

Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico need to keep a close eye on this system through the week. The environment is warm and favorable for development, and we’ll be tracking it closely today on WINK Tracks The Tropics at 11am on WINK’s Facebook page, YouTube page and https://t.co/JOqrpWd6Xd.

#TropicsWatch #Invest98L #Melissa #CaribbeanWeather

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

SUNDAY AM TROPICAL UPDATE:

“Melissa” might form in the Caribbean by the middle to the end of this week.

Right now, Invest 98L is located a couple hundred miles east of the Windward Islands, producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms.

It’s still very disorganized and doesn’t have a closed circulation as it moves westward.

Once it reaches the Caribbean, environmental conditions will become more conducive for development. One key ingredient? Warmer than average sea surface temperatures… acting like fuel for potential tropical systems.

As of the latest update, the NHC gives it a 60% chance of development. But since it hasn’t formed yet, we can’t pinpoint strength or track just yet.

Right now, models are all over the place… some take it toward Central America, others suggest a possible northward turn. Once a defined center of circulation develops, model consensus will improve and we’ll have a clearer picture of its steering pattern.

Still, there’s plenty of time to watch. While it’s not a threat to the U.S. at this time, the islands should keep a close eye on it.

.

Melissa” podría formarse en el Caribe entre mediados y finales de esta semana.

En este momento, Invest 98L se encuentra a unos cientos de millas al este de las Islas de Barlovento, generando una amplia zona de lluvias y tormentas eléctricas.

Por ahora está muy desorganizado y aún no tiene una circulación cerrada, mientras se mueve hacia el oeste.

Una vez que llegue al Caribe, las condiciones ambientales serán más favorables para su desarrollo. Uno de los ingredientes clave son las temperaturas del mar más cálidas de lo normal, que actúan como combustible para los sistemas tropicales.

Según la última actualización, el Centro Nacional de Huracanes le da un 60% de probabilidad de desarrollo. Pero como todavía no se ha formado, no se puede definir su intensidad ni su trayectoria.

Actualmente, los modelos muestran diferentes escenarios: algunos lo llevan hacia Centroamérica, mientras que otros indican un posible giro hacia el norte. Una vez que el sistema tenga un centro de circulación definido, los modelos empezarán a coincidir más sobre su posible trayectoria.

Aún hay tiempo para vigilarlo de cerca. Y aunque no representa una amenaza para Estados Unidos por ahora, las islas del Caribe deben mantenerse atentas.

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

Your weekend forecast is looking great to finish your Halloween decorations or for any other outdoor plans. 🎃👻☠️

Expect a mix of sun and clouds, dry conditions and daytime highs in the mid to upper 80's on Saturday.

First half of Sunday is looking pretty nice. However, there's a 20% chance for a few late afternoon/early evening showers.

#SWFL #weather

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

Rainy season is officially over… and Fort Myers wrapped it up with a big rainfall deficit. Not great news, especially with NOAA now issuing a La Niña Advisory, which points to a higher chance of a warmer and drier winter ahead.

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

Tropical Check-In:

NOAA’s latest Climate Prediction Center tropical outlook is hinting at a low to moderate chance for tropical development in the western Caribbean and Central America next week (Oct 22–28). There’s about a 20% to 40% chance that something could try to develop. This area can get a little active late in the season, but that’s nothing unusual for October. However, it’s still too soon to confirm anything just yet.

The best news? For the following week (Oct 29–Nov 4), no tropical cyclone development is expected! 🙌 We’re inching closer to the quiet end of hurricane season, and so far things are looking calm.

I’ll keep an eye on the tropics and let you know if anything changes — but for now, enjoy the sunshine and those Florida fall vibes! ☀️🍂

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

We now have Tropical Storm Lorenzo. No threat to SWFL. Looks like it’s curving to the open Atlantic.

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

Orange blob in the Atlantic could become the next name storm, "Jerry". Now has a 50% chance for development in the next 7 days.

Some long-range models hinting that it will curve north, like we've seen other storms do this year. But it hasn't yet formed, and we have to keep in mind that model changes are possible. Worth watching.

Also, yellow blob closer to home shouldn't be something to worry about. This area of low pressure will bring us breezy conditions (which we can already feel on this Friday late afternoon/early evening) and an increase in moisture.

Enjoy your weekend everybody! And stick with the WINK Weather Authority. We got you covered!

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

*FLOOD ADVISORY* issued for Lee County until 10/02 12:30AM. Track storms with Southwest Florida's WINK Live Doppler 3X on TV and Online: https://t.co/KOkEKnZbL4

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

@MattDevittWX 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Val Simpson @ValSimpsonWx]

Not one, but two storms swirling so close together… Imelda and Humberto. A rare reminder of just how active and unpredictable hurricane season can be.
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No uno, sino dos sistemas al mismo tiempo… Imelda y Humberto. Un recordatorio de lo activa e impredecible que puede ser la temporada de huracanes.
#VigilandoLosTropicos #Humberto #Imelda #trackingthetropics

[Matt Devitt @MattDevittWX]

NEW: Hurricane #Humberto could become a Category 5 on Saturday, which is currently in the forecast from the NHC. The storm has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 this evening after doubling its intensity throughout the day. Although Bermuda is in the cone, this powerful storm is projected to stay in the Atlantic away from the United States. @WINKNews

[National Hurricane Center @NHC_Atlantic]

11 pm EDT Fri, Sep. 26 Key Messages for Potential Tropical Cyclone #Nine.

English: https://t.co/1szOZA9atJ

Español: https://t.co/02CrDqD2yi

[NWS Tampa Bay @NWSTampaBay]

Today marks one year since Hurricane Helene brought devastating impacts across our forecast area. As many areas are still recovering and rebuilding from the '24 hurricane season, we wanted recognize the collective community efforts. Learn more: https://t.co/SoEKKLF4U5 #flwx