Chances for Tropical Development Have Increased

The National Hurricane Center has provided their 7am CDT update on this tropical wave that is producing scattered showers and storms over eastern Cuba, Hispaniola, the southeastern Bahamas, and Jamaica. The wave is expected to move near or over Cuba throughout the day and then emerge over the Straits of Florida tonight or Saturday.

A tropical depression is likely to form this weekend over the Straits of Florida or eastern Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Peninsula. Tropical storm watches or warnings could be required for portions of Florida later today; NHC gives the system an 90 percent chance of development.

A NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate this system later today.

The models have come in better agreement with the track of this system moving parallel to the Florida West Coast and then making a turn to the Northeast.  This would happen through the latter half of the weekend and early next week.

The main threat will be torrential rain which could bring in flooding across Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas through the weekend.

If the system becomes a tropical storm, the name will be Debby.

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Tropical