One of two tropical waves the National Hurricane Center continues to watch has entered the Caribbean Sea as a disorganized system, but forecasters expect the system to develop as it moves west. The satellite data and surface observations indicate no signs of a closed surface circulation, according to NWS. But there’s also a 40 per cent chance it could form even sooner – within the next 48 hours.
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“If tropical wave 97-L does develop by Friday, it will become Tropical Depression Five or Tropical Storm Earl”, Williams stated.
The system is expected to bring gusty winds and heavy rain to some of the Caribbean islands today, including the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. These conditions should spread westward across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea tonight and reach Hispaniola on Monday, forecasters said.
“The consensus among forecast models for the track of Invest 97L is several hundred miles south of Tampa Bay towards the Yucatan Peninsula and southern Gulf”.
The second wave being monitored, almost 700 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, continues to show minimal organization.
Little change in our temperature regime is expected with daily highs reaching the lower 90s, maximum heat indices near 100-103, and lows in the mid-upper 70s.
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AccuWeather forecasters are predicting the forward speed should lessen by midweek, putting the wave in a better spot for development with less wind shear. It had been a quiet Atlantic since Tropical Storm Danielle formed on June 20.
