The path of tropical disturbance Invest 99L which can strengthen and become tropical storm Hermine.
Advertisement
Mr Dean said regardless of tropical cyclone formation, gusty winds and heavy rain “are highly” likely to accompany this system and could result in severe flooding over the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas, which includes Long Island, Ragged Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana and Inagua.
Authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bahamas said heavy wind and rain was expected in parts of both island chains through Thursday night and small boats were advised to stay in port.
Sallade said the system ” is having trouble getting its act together” and could bring “some very nasty weather across the entire Florida Peninsula this weekend, before strengthening in the Gulf next week”.
The National Hurricane Center now gives Invest 99L a 60% chance of development in the next 5 days, or 30% in the next 48 hours, which suggests the lows progress will not be rapid. The question is whether the warmer waters around Florida or once the low passes into the Gulf could see the low intensify into a storm or even a hurricane.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds Wednesday are near 70 miles per hour (110 kph).
KPRC meteorologist Britta Merwin said there is uncertainty about the forecast, but most weather models show the system moving northwest into the Bahamas, where conditions are more favorable for a tropical system to form.
Tropical Storm Gaston is moving northwestward in the Atlantic with no change in strength.
“Once a system has been designated as an invest, data collection and processing is initiated on a number of government and academic web sites, including the Naval Research Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies”, according to the National Hurricane Center’s terminology glossary. “Interests elsewhere in Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico should continue to monitor the progress of this disturbance”.
While Fiona spins towards its inevitable destruction, Tropical Storm Gaston has formed and is expected to become a hurricane.
Strong winds, heavy rains and possible flash floods and mudslides are expected over portions of the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. “This is still a system we’ll need to watch as we go into early next week”, said Zelman.
Advertisement
Tropical wave still has medium chance of becoming a tropical cyclone next 48 hrs & 5 days.
