August 11, 2004
USA Today

MIAMI (AP) — Back-to-back tropical storms moved closer to Florida early Wednesday, with Tropical Storm Bonnie creeping toward the Panhandle and a stronger Tropical Storm Charley behind it prompting a hurricane watch for the Florida Keys.

Most of northwest Florida, from the Alabama line to the Suwanee River, was under a tropical storm watch and could expect Bonnie's wind and rain on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. (Related: Forecast track and alerts for Bonnie, Charley)

Meanwhile, a hurricane watch ahead of Charley was issued for the Florida Keys from Dry Tortugas to Craig Key. The watch means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.

"This is just the first wave of watches that will be extended later," said James Franklin, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center.

But Charley, in the Caribbean Sea, was first a threat to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Haiti and Cuba.

Early Wednesday, Charley was 160 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and moving west-northwest near 24 mph. Charley had maximum sustained winds near 65 mph and could become a hurricane Wednesday or Thursday, forecasters said.

Jamaica was under a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch. A hurricane warning was issued for the Cayman Islands and a tropical storm warning was in place for the southern peninsula of Haiti.

Meanwhile, Bonnie was about 265 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north at 5 mph. Bonnie was expected to turn northeast and speed up during the day, forecasters said.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and would likely get stronger during the day, forecasters said. Tropical storm force winds extended 30 miles from the center.

"It could be a fairly strong tropical storm at landfall," Franklin said.

Bonnie and Charley are the second and third named storms of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-08-11-bonnie-charley_x.htm