Hurricane Ian Forecast and Visible Satellite Loop

Hurricane Ian will bring destructive storm surge, flooding rains, and severe winds, but you can't deny how breathtaking it looks on visible satellite. Something so beautiful can cause so much destruction.

Hurricane Ian will likely make landfall tomorrow, Wednesday afternoon between Sarasota and Fort Myers Beach. Ian currently sits at category 3 status and could make a run for category 4 before landfall. Recent aircraft and radar data have revealed that Ian has begun to undergo an eyewall replacement cycle. Essentially, an outer eyewall has begun to form and will eventually become the primary eyewall as the inner eyewall dies out. This process will result in an expansion of the wind field and maybe a temporary halt in further intensification for a few hours.

Hurricane Ian Track Forecast – September 27, 2022, 5pm ET

Ian will begin to encounter greater vertical wind shear on Wednesday, which could also cap intensity some. Whether it's a category 4 strong or strong category 3 at landfall will result in little difference in impacts.

Along with hurricane-force winds, Florida, along with parts of Georgia and South Carolina, will deal with storm surge, very heavy rainfall amounts, and tornadoes. Ian will begin to slow down, which will further exacerbate these hazards. The highest storm surge will depend highly on Ian's landfall location, but right now, the highest surge should occur between Longboat Key and Charlotte Harbor. Storm surge could reach 12 feet there. Rainfall amounts could reach or even easily exceed 2 feet across a large swath of real estate in the Florida peninsula.

Hurricane Ian Storm Surge Forecast – September 27, 2022

Hurricane Ian 5-Day Rain Forecast – September 27, 2022

We will continue to post updates throughout the remainder of the event in Florida and will also have updates coming for Georgia and the Carolinas throughout this week.

Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 7pm ET