Several more inches of rain over portions of the western Florida Panhandle will extend the threat of flash flooding through Wednesday evening.

The drier pattern that had settled into the Sunshine State the last two weeks of September is not likely to last much longer.

Swells from Major Hurricane Sam are expected along Atlantic Beaches into the weekend as it spins well offshore.

Hurricane Sam is not expected to reach the U.S. coast, but beachgoers will feel the effects in the form of swell starting in a day or two.

Powerful Hurricane Sam is expected to stay at sea, but swells from it could reach the Atlantic beaches in time for the weekend.

Hurricane Sam reached category 4 status late Saturday afternoon. It is the fourth Atlantic hurricane to achieve major hurricane status in 2021.

Sam rapidly intensified overnight and is forecast to become a major hurricane over the weekend. While models suggests Sam may stay out to sea, it is still too soon to credibly predict whether there will be impacts to Florida.

Tropical Depression Eighteen formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean Wednesday afternoon and is likely to become a long-lived hurricane. It is not possible yet to be confident this storm will turn out to sea like Peter and Rose, or Hurricane Larry before it.