Keep an eye on Irene – Storm Could Strike Orlando this week

Update2: As of the 11AM update, Irene has hurricane status and is continuing its eastward drift. That’s good news for the Florida peninsula. However, Irene will pick up strength as it travels over warm waters, strong winds and rain could still slash across the state, and hurricanes have been known to change direction. So Irene still bears watching. The latest image from NHC is above. EOU2.

Update: Overnight Irene appears to have slowed down and shifted slightly east. But the cone of possibility is still firmly over central Florida just with an arrival of Friday night instead of Friday morning. I’ve updated this story with the latest image from the NHC. EOU.

If you’re planning a trip that puts you in Central or Southern Florida during the second half of this week, make sure you keep an eye on the weather. Tropical Storm Irene’s cone of potential impact current covers most of Florida, including the popular attractions areas.

As you can see by the map above, the storm will pass by beginning sometime on Thursday. It looks like its currently forecast for Hurricane strength when that passover begins. Be sure to read my previous post on being prepared for storms when visiting Orlando and keep an eye on the National Hurricane Center‘s updates.

More as events warrant.