Hurricane warning issued for Tampa Bay area
The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for the Tampa Bay area just after its 5 p.m. advisory for Hurricane Ian.
The hurricane, currently a Category 2, is forecast to strengthen before it slows down as it approaches land. It is then expected to hover off the coast of Tampa from Wednesday into Thursday before making landfall.
![PHOTO: A Weather map graphic shows the areas of Florida that are under Hurricane and Tropical Storm watches and warnings as of the evening of Sept. 26, 2022.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/9960b57d-4c81-4b85-9d00-d606045280ed/blog-hurricane-ian-tropicalstorm-cuba-florida-watch-warning-evening-02-abc-llr-220926_1664231064001_hpEmbed_16x9.jpg)
A hurricane watch has also been issued for Big Bend, Florida, near the panhandle, and tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of southwest Florida.
Tropical storm watches are in effect for Orlando toward the northeast portion of the state, from Fort Pierce to Jacksonville.
-ABC News' Melissa Griffin