Reports from American media outlets today, Monday, indicate that Florida authorities have announced the suspension of flights until Tuesday due to the approaching Tropical Storm Idalia.
President Joe Biden has approved the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
Tropical Storm Idalia formed in the Caribbean Sea region and has the potential to intensify into a hurricane, potentially causing strong winds and high waves in Cuba and Florida later this week.
The US National Hurricane Center stated on Sunday that the storm carries winds at a speed of 65 kilometers per hour (40 mph) and could reach Category 1 status with winds of about 145 kilometers per hour (90 mph) when it reaches the Florida coast on Wednesday, according to forecasts.
Currently, the storm is near the Yucatan Channel, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) roughly east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico.
The Miami-based National Weather Service predicted that Tropical Storm Idalia would bring “life-threatening weather conditions and floods due to heavy rains along parts of the western Florida coast and the northernmost areas of Texas by Tuesday.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 33 counties in the state last Saturday.