Tropical depression Barry brings rain to Florida
By Robert Green 2 hours, 8 minutes ago
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) - The remains of Tropical Storm Barry brought high winds and heavy rains to Florida on Saturday, but the downpour was welcomed in a parched state that has been battling stubborn wildfires.
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Much of Florida's west coast was feeling the brunt of Barry by Saturday morning as rain had begun falling in the Tampa Bay area on Friday afternoon. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage related to the storm.
Barry formed as a tropical storm on Friday, and was downgraded to a tropical depression with sustained winds near 35 mph (55 kph) by 11 a.m. EDT on Saturday.
Its center was near Tampa and about 100 miles north-northwest of Fort Myers, Florida, and moving north-northeast near 23 mph (37 kph), the
National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
Barry was expected to cross Florida and then head up the U.S. east coast as a heavy rainstorm, said Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist at the hurricane center. It was not expected to strengthen into a hurricane.
All tropical storm warnings and watches were discontinued as Barry weakened. Tropical storms have maximum sustained winds ranging from 39 to 73 mph (63-118 kph).
Barry was expected to bring up to 6 inches of rain to parts of Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina, with up to 10 inches in isolated areas.
That was welcome news in Florida, which reported hundreds of wildfires in May and rainfall of less than half of the normal average. State officials said there were 160 fires in progress as of Saturday, down from 180 on Friday. Friday's rain was the first in Tampa in 25 days.
The citrus industry said severely dry weather was putting continual stress on the state's orange and grapefruit growing areas.
The hurricane center also said heavy rains were possible in parts of Cuba.
Barry formed on Friday, June 1, the official start of the six-month 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, which forecasters have predicted will be more active than normal.
"I think it's the first time in 39 years that we've had a storm on the first day of the season," Brown said.
The season got off to an early start on May 9 with the formation of Subtropical Storm Andrea off the U.S. coast. Andrea lacked the warm core and organized thunderstorm activity of tropical systems.
The height of the six-month hurricane season is usually not until August and September.
Tropical depression Barry brings rain to Florida
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