ORLANDO, Fla. – A disturbance in the Caribbean is expected to become a major hurricane this week on a projected path toward Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The system is expected to move into prime real estate for rapid intensification Wednesday and Thursday.
The latest forecast shows Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 growing into a major Category 3 hurricane within the next 48 hours as it approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The exact location and intensity of the storm by Thursday afternoon remains a bit uncertain. As the system develops further, we should get a better picture of our local impacts in Central Florida.
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The NHC on Monday designated the system as Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, allowing the NHC to issue advisories for systems that aren’t yet tropical depressions or storms but could bring winds of 39 mph or more to land within 48 hours.
As of the 8 a.m. advisory, the disturbance had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and was moving northwest at 8 mph. It is about 205 miles south-southeast of the western tip of Cuba and 150 miles west of Grand Cayman.
PTC 9 is expected to continue moving northwest Tuesday, followed by a faster north, north-northeast motion on Wednesday and Thursday.
The center of the system is forecast to move over the Caribbean through Tuesday night before moving over the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday.
Watches and warnings have been issued for parts of Florida ahead of the projected major hurricane.
As of now, Central Floridians can expect squally weather on Thursday packing gusty winds and tropical downpours. Due to the potential tropical weather, parts of Central Florida are now under a tropical storm watch.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency for 41 counties, including Marion and Sumter in Central Florida.
Several cities in Central Florida announced they will be opening up sandbag locations. Click here to see the list.
In the Atlantic
Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, a tropical wave near the Cabo Verde Islands is expected to develop this week and could become a tropical depression as it moves west, west-northwest across the Atlantic.
It has a 40% chance of development in the next 48 hours and an 80% chance of development in the next seven days.
The next name on the list is Helene.
Hurricane season runs through November.
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