Half way through Hurricane Season & the Tropics are bubbling up!
After a short breather from Hurricane Dorian, it seems the Bahamas & the state of Florida is back on a “Tropics Watch” for the upcoming weekend. A disturbance over the Central Bahamas (temporarily named “Potential Storm #9” due to its proximity to land areas) is slowly becoming better organized today. And while this system still defines a well-defined center of circulation, conditions surrounding the disturbance are becoming more favorable for tropical development and a TROPICAL STORM is likely form by tomorrow morning as the system moves towards the NW through the Northwestern Bahamas.
So what exactly does a “Potential Storm” mean? Due to the fact that this disturbance is so close to land, the National Hurricane gives developing storms a “Potential” name in order to begin issuing advisories for land areas expected to experience tropical storm or hurricane force conditions within 24-48 hours. Due to its proximity to the Northwestern Bahamas, tropical storm warnings have been issued for the islands.
Latest forecast track provides good news for Florida as it keeps the storm offshore, avoiding landfall anywhere along the East Coast of Florida. All of South Florida (including Palm Beach) is now out of the cone.
South Florida will only see indirect impacts from this system. Marine conditions have already begun to deteriorate. South Florida coastal waters remain under a Small Craft Advisory while tropical storm watches have been issued for offshore waters of Deerfield Beach down to Ocean Reef. Gusty tropical downpours also remain in the forecast through the first half of the weekend. And with strong onshore winds, rip current risk along East Coast beaches will remain high.
Elsewhere in the Tropics…another tropical wave midway between the Lesser Antilles & the Cape Verde Islands is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Conditions are becoming more favorable for development as it quickly moves westward across the Tropical Atlantic. A tropical depression could form early next week as it gets closer to the Lesser Antilles.
We are also monitoring another tropical wave just SSE of the Cape Verde Islands. This system is not looking very organized and slow development, if any, is expected in the days to come as it moves westward across the Atlantic.
South Florida will see times of sun today and tomorrow while gusty tropical downpours will quickly push through from time to time. The sun will allow temperatures to warm into the upper 80s today while the breeze remains on the stronger side, potentially becoming windy to gusty by this afternoon.
Conditions should slowly begin to transition towards a more normal pattern by latter part of the weekend and for the start of the next upcoming work week. A few showers cannot be ruled out at that time. And by the middle of the next week, South Florida should be back to a typical Summer-time weather pattern.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Let’s count ourselves as lucky that we missed another storm.
Erika Delgado
Meteorologist
WSVN Channel 7 News
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