Tropical storm Nicole set for broader, if not harder, Florida approach

Hurricane conditions and a storm surge from tropical storm Nicole should hit the eastern Florida coast by late Wednesday (November 9) in what is now seen as a broader swipe from a system that has largely stopped gaining strength.

"Ony slight additional strengthening" is expected as supportive warm water temperatures go up against wind shear and "a dry and not particularly unstable environment," forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said in their latest update at 4:00 a.m. eastern time.

Nicole "could still become a hurricane" by Florida landfall, they noted. But the "large" system has tropical storm-force winds extending some 460 miles from centre, particularly to the north.

Maximum sustained wind speeds continue to be marked at up to 70 mph (110 km/h), flat since the last note of acceleration on Tuesday.

The system is currently about 270 miles (435 km) east of West Palm Beach Florida, putting it within 90 miles of its first Bahamas target. The system is moving at 13 mph (20km/h) at 250 degrees WSW.

Warnings and watches have been extended north along the coast as Nicole is anticipated to add in breadth what it isn't gaining in severity. Warnings and watches have also spread well into the Florida panhandle.

A hurricane warning is in effect for a string of islands in the north-western Bahamas plus 220 miles of Florida coast from roughly Boca Raton to points just north of Daytona Beach.

A tropical storm warning runs another 320 miles north into South Carolina, 26 additional miles on the southern Florida coast through Fort Lauderdale and towards Miami plus inland swathes of the panhandle and beyond.

Storm surge warnings cover an expanse running into mid-Georgia plus lengthy inland threats on the ST John River, called at 3 to 5 feet in the central warning area and the St. John River.

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