System headed to Florida could become tropical depression, hurricane center says

The National Hurricane Center continues to keep an eye on a system in the Atlantic that could develop into a tropical depression or storm as it approaches the Florida coast.

In its 8 a.m. tropical outlook, the NHC said the weak trough of low pressure was located a few hundred miles south-southwest of Bermuda, but is expected to migrate toward the U.S. in the coming week.

“Some gradual development of this system is possible while it moves west-northwestward toward the southeastern U.S. coast later this week and into the weekend,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 20% chance to form into a tropical system in the next seven days.

If it did spin up to named-storm power, it could become Tropical Storm Emily.

Another system, though, now lashing the Lesser Antilles on its way into the Caribbean, still has a small chance to form as well, the NHC said.

The tropical wave is located near the Windward Islands producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms as it moves quickly west.

“Development, if any, of this system should be slow to occur during the next day or two before it moves into a region of unfavorable upper-level winds,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 10% chance to form into a tropical depression in the next two days, and 10% in the next seven.

The 2023 hurricane season has seen four named storms so far with only one hurricane, Hurricane Don, which was a Category 1 hurricane that petered out in the north Atlantic on Monday.

The hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30.

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