A shift to the west in the system now named Invest 97 is seen in the latest Tropical Weather Outlook issued by the National Hurricane Center.
In Thursday's 2 p.m. report, the NHC said that 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 remains low but have risen to 30 percent. The chances of formation through 7 days is now at a high 70 percent.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.