The latest report from the National Weather Service says there’s a 70 percent chance Invest 99 will develop into a tropical system in the next few days.
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NHC meteorologists give odds of 80 percent that a low pressure associated with a tropical wave centered just southeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands will become a tropical depression within the next five days.
As we head into the peak of the northern hemisphere tropical storm season, there are tropical storms active in the North Atlantic and across the North Pacific. “The reconnaissance aircraft mission is ongoing to determine whether or not a tropical cyclone has formed”.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the system’s strongest winds were below tropical storm strength but that it could strengthen as it approaches Florida and the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend.
Regardless of development, heavy rains, with the potential to cause flash floods and mud slides, are likely over Hispaniola and eastern and central Cuba during the next couple of days. That chance goes up to 60% as you look ahead to the next 5 days.
“It’s still expected to move into a more organized development but it’s still too early to know what it’s going to do”, he said.
The National Hurricane Center predicted 2016 to be the strongest hurricane season since 2012, according to its updated Hurricane Season Outlook released in August.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gaston, the only named storm in the Atlantic, poses no immediate threat to land.
Rain was also expected to spread into south Florida over the weekend and continue into early next week.
Invest 99L was traveling west-northwest about 10 miles per hour and could cross Florida late Sunday or Monday and enter the Gulf as a tropical wave, according to the National Hurricane Center.
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Downpours and areas of gusty storms increase around the area this afternoon as tropical air surges northeastward.
