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Columbus, Ga (WRBL)-This afternoon severe thunderstorms moved through the News 3 area, as a cool front passed through the southeast. Storms this afternoon produced winds up to 60mph, quarter inch hail, and flood advisories. This front will help to cool temperatures over the next few days.

Beginning tomorrow all focus will be on Idalia. Idalia tonight is still a tropical storm but is expected to strengthen into a hurricane within the next few hours. As it moves into the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Idalia is expected to strengthen rapidly over the next 24 hours into a Category 3 by the time in makes landfall between Tallahassee and Tampa Wednesday.

Storm surge in these areas will be a major issue with surge up to 10 feet near Cedar Key. While this storm is expected to pass just to our southeast Wednesday afternoon/ Thursday morning on its current path, we will need to closely watch it. A slight westward shift would place our southeast counties in the path of tropical storm force winds.