Reuters AlertNet Lite - Pre-hurricane-season storm fans Florida brush fires

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Pre-hurricane-season storm fans Florida brush fires

10 May 2007 14:32:42 GMT
Source: Reuters

MIAMI, May 10 (Reuters) - Subtropical Storm Andrea weakened off the U.S. Atlantic Coast on Thursday but its winds fanned brush fires in Florida, where firefighters eagerly awaited any rain the storm might bring.

About 225 wild fires burned throughout Florida, where the winter dry season was the third-driest ever recorded. Much of the state was under water-use restrictions and blanketed with smoky haze from the fires.

"Pray for rain," Gov. Charlie Crist said after a tour of the fires on Wednesday.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Andrea was a weak, dry and "rather unimpressive" system that could bring an inch (2.5 cm) of rain to coastal areas.

That would hardly be enough to douse the fires that burned in 52 of Florida's 67 counties.

The subtropical storm lacked the warm core and thunderstorms characteristic of a tropical storm but nonetheless triggered a tropical storm warning along the coast of Georgia and north Florida.

Residents were cautioned to expect tropical storm conditions within 36 hours, although the disturbance was expected to stay off shore and gradually weaken.

Its top winds had already dropped to 40 mph (65 kph) from 45 mph (75 kph) a day earlier.

The storm was centered about 100 miles (165 km) east of Jacksonville, Florida, and was drifting generally south.

Andrea formed three weeks before the official start of the Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

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Last updated:Thu May 10 14:35:00 2007