Storm Debby unleashes heavy rains over Florida

Tropical Storm Debby weakened slightly as it moved slowly over the northern Gulf of Mexico yesterday, dumping heavy rains and threatening to bring flooding and tornadoes to parts of Florida. Debby, the first named storm of 2012 to move into the Gulf of Mexico, was centred about 75 miles (125km) south of Apalachicola, Florida, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11am EDT (1500 GMT) update. The storm’s maximum sustained winds decreased slightly to 45mph (75kph) from 50mph (85kph) and forecasts predicted there would be little change in its strength over the next couple of days. Debby has temporarily idled about a quarter of US offshore oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, based on figures issued on Sunday by US offshore regulators. Forecast models show the storm is expected to move slowly this week toward the northern Florida Gulf Coast, possibly unloading as much as 10 to 15in (25-38cm) of rain in some areas of the state, with isolated amounts of much as 25in (64cm), the hurricane center said. Steady rainfall spurred by Debby is expected to extend to southern areas of Georgia and South Carolina.from gulf times.