Most of Alabama is bracing itself for the possibility of severe weather Monday with tornadoes and hail on the forecast. While southern parts of the state will largely be unaffected aside from heavy rain, thick fog in the Gulf of Mexico and in Mobile has delayed cruises and other ships from entering ports.
The Carnival Fantasy cruise, which was due to come back to Mobile Monday morning, has been delayed after a five-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. Another cruise was expected to leave from Mobile Monday afternoon.
"Due to heavy fog conditions, the Carnival Fantasy will be delayed returning to port and passengers have been asked to not report to the terminal until further notice," said a notice on the Visit Mobile's Facebook page. "We will update this page when we get our next information on estimated time of arrival/boarding from Carnival so check back often!"
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a fog advisory that will last until 1 a.m. Tuesday, while a gale watch is in effect from Tuesday afternoon until that evening.
Storms are expected to hit central Alabama at around 2 p.m., while the north part of the state will see storms hit between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Schools further north are being dismissed early on Monday. The National Weather Service is urging Alabamians to exercise caution.