A B727 FLC STARTS AN EARLY DSCNT DURING AN ATTEMPTED VISUAL TO RWY 18L AT TPA; FL.

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ENRTE TO TAMPA INTL ARPT; WITH APCH CTL; ON RADAR VECTORS TO RWY 18R; LEVEL AT 2000 FT MSL. MODERATE TURB AND STRONG WINDS OUT OF THE SW. SURFACE WINDS (ATIS) WERE 220 DEGS AT 20 KTS; GUSTS TO 29 KTS. ESTIMATE WINDS AT 2000 FT MSL WERE MUCH GREATER. WX WAS PART OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM. APCH CTL GAVE A TURN TO INTERCEPT RWY 18R LOC. UPON REACHING ASSIGNED HEADING; CTLR COMMENTED HE HAD TURNED US 'LATE' AND TO 'TRY' A 200 DEG HDG TO REINTERCEPT THE RWY 18R LOC. REFING COMPASS LOCATOR (COSME); IT APPEARED THE 200 DEG HDG WOULD INTERCEPT COURSE INSIDE FAF. ADDITIONALLY; WE DETERMINED THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTMS ON RWY 18R FINAL. WE HAD RWY 18L VISUALLY AND ADVISED WE COULD TAKE RWY 18L. HE REPLIED; 'OK; CLRED FOR THE L SIDE.' BEGAN VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18L; DSNDED BELOW GS INTERCEPT ALT IN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH RWY ENVIRONMENT; DUE TO RAIN SHOWERS/VIRGA. APCH CTL NOTED WE WERE BELOW GS AND QUERIED IF WE STILL HAD THE RWY VISUALLY. WE ADVISED WE HAD MOMENTARILY LOST RWY ENVIRONMENT AND HAD LEVELED AT 1600 FT MSL. WE IMMEDIATELY REACQUIRED RWY 18L ENVIRONMENT; MAINTAINED 1600 FT MSL UNTIL REINTERCEPTING GS/NORMAL GLIDE PATH; AND ACCOMPLISHED VISUAL APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 18L AT TAMPA. AT NO TIME DID WE LOSE GND CONTACT OR FORWARD VISIBILITY LESS THAN 5 MI.