“This system could become a tropical storm or tropical depression at any time during the next couple of days”, said center specialist Daniel Brown. All of the models are showing that this could potentially be a South Florida worry.
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The most recent hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma in October 2005, AccuWeather said.
On Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center gave a 60 percent chance that at least a tropical depression will form in the next two days and an 80 percent chance of forming in the next five days.
Nearly all models, as well as the presence of a disturbingly strong high pressure ridge forecast over the mid-Atlantic this weekend, argue that once Hermine leaves South Florida, it will be pushed westward into the Gulf of Mexico - where water temperatures are also near-record warm. The GFS model (bottom) still has a disorganized mess of tropical moisture.
We are also tracking Invest 99L located late this morning over the northern Leeward Islands.
Back to Gaston, though, it’s unclear this far out just how much juice east coasters can expect from this pulse of energy – and obviously local conditions will vary depending on wind direction, etc. – but for now conditions are right for a moderate bump if not better.
No hurricane has made landfall in Florida since Hurricane Wilma a decade ago.
Another storm in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Gaston, is expected to develop into a hurricane, but current models show the storm heading north and officials don’t expect it to pose a threat to land.
“This storm has the potential to be trouble”, weather expert and former NOAA Hurricane Hunter Jeff Masters told The Palm Beach Post.
“A track somewhere through Florida or the Florida Straits and into the Gulf appears to be the most likely outcome”, according to the Weather Underground.
Now is a good time to review your hurricane plan and your hurricane kit.
A strong tropical wave and associated broad area of low pressure was moving westward across the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico towards The Bahamas on Wednesday, bringing tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rain.
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A variety of sophisticated equipment are helping forecasters keep an eye on both storms, including a remote piloted Global Hawk aircraft supplied by NASA.
