Florida - Thursday August 1, 2024: That strong tropical wave that meteorologists have been watching for the past few days has now been given a high, 70% chance of development by this weekend or early next week, and it’s expected to have some impact on Florida.
The National Hurricane Center has now labeled it Invest 97-L.
As of late Thursday afternoon it was being described as a well-defined tropical wave that was producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms over Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Southeastern Bahamas.
However, the Hurricane Center says this system is now likely to become a tropical depression over the weekend, or by early next week, when it enters the Gulf of Mexico, near the Florida Peninsula.
The National Weather Service Office in Melbourne has also issued an updated advisory echoing the Hurricane Center’s high confidence that this system will soon develop. They say it’s too soon to predict exactly what impact it may have on East-Central Florida. Although NWS Melbourne has "increasing confidence in heavy to excessive rainfall impacts" on East-Central Florida.
NHC - Invest 97-L
A well-defined tropical wave is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms over Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Southeastern Bahamas, and the adjacent waters of the southwestern Atlantic and northeastern Caribbean Sea. Development of this system should be slow to occur during the next day or so while it moves west-northwestward over portions of the Greater Antilles.
However, environmental conditions are forecast to be more conducive for development after the wave passes the Greater Antilles, and a tropical depression is likely to form this weekend or early next week over the eastern Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Peninsula.
Interests across the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, and Florida should continue to monitor the progress of this system.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...30 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...high...70 percent.
