ORLANDO, Fla. – Chances are increasing for a tropical disturbance, designated as Invest 93L on Friday, to impact parts of Florida early to middle of next week.
An area moving into the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend is likely to develop into at least a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center. Florida could see impacts in the Tuesday through Wednesday timeframe.
Invest stands for investigation. When an area of low pressure in the tropics is designated an Invest by the National Hurricane Center, computer forecasts on that specified entity can begin.
The disturbance is currently located in the western Caribbean, but is expected to lift north into the Gulf of Mexico. The current steering pattern would favor the storm to move into the eastern Gulf of Mexico by early next week.
The exact intensity and track of the system is unclear as the disturbance is just now emerging over water in the western Caribbean, as of Friday morning.
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It is important to note that computer forecasts struggle with intensity at this stage in the game.
Floridians should monitor the progress of the disturbance through the weekend.
As of Saturday afternoon, this area has a 90% chance of development over the next two-to-seven days.
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The NHC is also monitoring two other areas for potential development.
Remnants of Emily about 1,000 miles east-northeast of Bermuda have a 30% chance of development in the next seven days while another area between the Cabo Verde islands and the northern Leeward Islands could become a tropical depression next week as it moves toward the central subtropical Atlantic.
Meanwhile, Franklin on Saturday became a hurricane as it passed between the U.S. and Bermuda.
The next named storm will be Idalia.
Hurricane season runs through November.
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