At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Debby was

located near latitude 27.7 North, longitude 84.4 West.  Debby is

moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h).  A gradual decrease

in forward speed with a turn toward the northeast and east is

expected on Monday and Tuesday.  On the forecast track, the center

will move across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico through tonight and

reach the Florida Big Bend coast around midday Monday.  Debby is

then expected to move slowly across northern Florida and southern

Georgia Monday and Tuesday.

 

Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher

gusts.  Rapid strengthening is forecast, and Debby is expected to

become a hurricane tonight, with additional strengthening likely

before it reaches the Florida Big Bend coast on Monday.  Weakening

is expected on Monday and Tuesday after Debby moves inland.

 

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km)

from the center.

 

The estimated minimum central pressure is 992 mb (29.30 inches).