JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Ian made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane near Cayo Costa around 3:10 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Winds within the storm were 150 mph, however, the storm has continued to weaken to a Tropical Storm.
A hurricane watch has been issued for areas of I-95 on the First Coast and a Tropical Storm warning is in place. This does not change our forecast.
The models continue to trend east of Jacksonville as does the official forecast from the NHC. If you are confused about what this graphic is below please check this article for an explainer on how to read the Spaghetti plots.
Winds will consistently be gusting out of the northeast. Wind gusts near 65 mph through 6 a.m. Friday.
Water level is expected to rise up to four feet higher than normal.
THURSDAY-Friday: Landfall and dry air pulled into the circulation of Ian is weakening the storm with conditions by Friday afternoon being windy but most of the rain will ended.
Be sure to check back in for the latest updates on the storm.
Key thing is to check back in for the latest updates as the storm continues to strengthen in the Caribbean.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you didn't get a chance to catch our hurricane special, you can watch it in its entirety right here.
Tim Deegan, Chief Meteorologist at First Coast News, has been preparing the First Coast for hurricanes for over 40 years.
First Coast News Meteorologist Lauren Rautenkranz sits down with Deegan in a special broadcast event, Hurricane Ready 2022: 40 Years of Forecasting, to pick his brain about severe weather events and to discuss the upcoming Hurricane season.
RIP CURRENTS: It's always a good idea to talk to the lifeguards and only go out where they can see you. The risk of rip currents always exists, especially around jetties and piers. Have fun, yet play it safe.
WEATHER BALLOON LAUNCH: Curious about how we get weather data for the upper portions of the atmosphere and why it's important to get said data? We stopped by the National Weather Service for one of their daily balloon launches.
