A recent satellite image of Emily. (Wikimedia Commons)

Emily warnings have been issued in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Turks and Caicos, the Virgin Islands and the southeastern Bahamas are currently under the lesser storm watch category.

Once Emily hits Hispaniola her trajectory will be more readily discernible, storm experts are saying. But by the time she reaches the island, likely Wednesday morning, Emily’s winds could have increased even further.

Meanwhile, the weather stateside is far less severe. Scattered showers in southern Florida are the only evidence of Emily thus far, compared with the 10 inches of rain expected in parts of the Caribbean. If Emily hits Florida, it won’t be until Friday or Saturday, and experts aren’t sure whether the storm’s speed will have slowed by then (Emily was moving at 12 mph as of 5 p.m. EST Tuesday, and expected to pick up speed before reaching the Bahamas and Hispaniola).

Despite uncertainty surrounding the storm’s intensity, precautions are being taken throughout the Caribbean and southern Florida.

Dozens of cruise ships hurriedly altered their itineraries, skipping certain ports or cutting trips short, said USA Today.

And NASA has announced it will closely monitor the storm, delaying Friday’s scheduled launch of the Juno spacecraft from Cape Canaveral if necessary.

However, it is more than likely that Emily will avoid Florida all together—state meteorologists say it’s more likely she’ll travel adjacent to the state.  

Severe weather is more troubling other parts of the country, where excessive heat warnings have been issued in twelve states. Dallas hit 30 consecutive days of 100 degree temperatures Tuesday, and the heat is responsible for dozens of deaths in the southern states and Midwest, according to a recent UPI report.

July this year was the warmest on record in several states, and the heat has yet to let up in areas like Oklahoma, Tennessee and Missouri.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be providing up-to-the-minute updates on Emily and the heat wave via Twitter.

Watch a local weather report from West Palm Beach, Florida:

USDA Meteorologist discusses the heat wave:

Reach Kate by email.