ORLANDO, Fla. – A system swirling in the tropics is expected to become the next named storm of the 2020 hurricane season as early as Thursday.
“Tropical Depression 11 will soon become Tropical Storm Josephine,” News 6 meteorologist Troy Bridges said.
Currently, TD 11 has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it moves west at 15 mph, about 1,135 miles east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands.
“It takes 39 mph winds or greater to become a tropical storm,” Bridges said. “The very latest track takes it north of the Lesser Antilles and north of Puerto Rico as a tropical storm by the end of the week. Some models have it dying out, while others have it turning away from the United States. It’s just too early to tell where this system will go, so we will continue to watch it.”
As of late Wednesday morning, no watches or warnings have been issued.
Orlando-area forecast
More storms are expected Wednesday in Central Florida.
Highs will reach the mid-90s in Orlando through the weekend. The average high on this date is 92. The record high is 98, set in 1929.
“Expect a 60% coverage of rain Wednesday through Saturday, with rain chances going up to 70% Sunday through Tuesday,” Bridges said. “The main threat will be lots of thunder and lightning, as well as heavy downpours that could lead to localized flooding and strong wind gusts near 50 mph or greater."
Orlando has a yearly rain deficit of 1.89 inches, although there’s a 4.16-inch surplus since June 1.
Watch News 6 for more weather coverage.