Tropical wave has a 70% chance of formation

August 1, 2024 Vaseline blog 0

Tropical wave has a 70% chance of formation

Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News and scroll below for the latest updates on Invest 97L from Channel 9′s team of meteorologists:

2 pm update

Invest 97L now has a 70% chance of development.

It is currently a tropical wave over Hispaniola.

Development will likely be slow over the next one to two days.

There is a better chance that it will develop this weekend or early next week, certified meteorologist George Waldenberger said.

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“For now, expect a higher chance of heavier rains Sunday, Monday and possibly beyond,” he said. “Strong storms may be possible with this disturbance nearby in the same time frame.”

Waldenberger said he is still “watching to see where circulation emerges and how organized this system can become by early next week.”

He said a possible stall could stretch out any possible impacts to next week.

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The next name on the list of named storms is Debby.

Click here to download our free news and weather apps. And watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News at 4 for the latest updates on this disturbance.

11 am update

Chief meteorologist Tom Terry said Thursday morning that the newly designated Invest 97L is now over the Dominican Republic and is moving west-northwest toward the Straits of Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico early this weekend.

“Water temperatures are in the upper 80s, adding plenty of fuel for this system to grow into Debby — possibly even a hurricane by late weekend and early next week near our west coast,” he said

Terry said the overnight Global Forecast System predicts a storm near the west coast of Florida late this weekend and possibly stalling or slowing near the Big Bend of Florida.

“Heavy rain and worse (is possible) with this scenario for the Sunshine State,” he said.

Previous story

A tropical disturbance near Puerto Rico continues to become more organized.

The system has a 60% chance of tropical development over the weekend as it moves into the Bahamas.

The disturbance will be near Cuba and South Florida on Saturday.

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The forecast models have shifted more to the west and show the system moving into the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.

It could be near the west coast of Florida as a tropical storm early next week.

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If that happens, it could mean substantial rain for Florida.

Where the storm will go and how strong it will be is uncertain because dry air has worked against its development.

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Channel 9 meteorologists will continue to monitor the system and provide updates on Eyewitness News.

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