Watching two areas of interest for tropical development, one near Florida
Neither disturbances poses a direct threat to Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
Your Gulf Coast Storm Team is closely monitoring an area of interest in the northeastern Gulf. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the latest odds for development are near zero over the next 48 hours and only 20 percent over the next seven days.
A broad area of low pressure is expected to form over the northeastern Gulf this weekend. Slow development is possible as this disturbance drifts northeast by early next week.
Impact on Southwest Florida
Regardless of development, this disturbance will pose no direct threat to Southwest Florida. This will ramp up rain chances for Tampa and Florida’s Big Bend region heading into early next week. This would bring beneficial rain as most of this region is still facing severe and extreme drought.
While this is unlikely to become a named storm, the next name on the list is Tropical Storm Bertha. Be sure to frequently check back into the forecast as we monitor any indirect impacts along the Gulf Coast.
New Area to Watch in East Atlantic
Along with the area in the Gulf, the National Hurricane Center has also highlighted a disturbance near the Cabo Verde Islands as one to watch for tropical development. The disturbance has a low chance of becoming a tropical storm as it swirls by the islands tonight and tomorrow.
Any development would likely be short-lived, as the system will move into an area of high wind shear as it drifts into the open Atlantic over the weekend. As such, it is not a threat to the US or Florida.
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