Tropical Disturbance Crops Up in Atlantic Ocean

CLEARWATER, FL — Fall might be here, but that doesn’t mean the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season is over. Proving that point, a broad surface low currently located near the southeastern Bahamas is under close watch by forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.

The system is described as a large area of cloudiness with disorganized showers. The disturbance was dumping locally heavy rain on the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Monday afternoon. It is, however, expected to begin to clear out of that area overnight.

While upper-level winds are anticipated to become unfavorable for further development of the system over the next day or two, “they could become more conducive for subtropical or tropical cyclone formation by Wednesday when the system begins to drift northward or north-northwestward,” the hurricane center wrote in its 2 p.m. Oct. 17 Tropical Weather Outlook report.

The system has been given a 20 percent chance of further formation over the next 48 hours. Those chances rise to 60 percent over the next five days.

What, if any, impact the system might have on Florida weather remains too soon to tell.

The Sunshine State is still dealing with the impacts of Hurricane Matthew. That system traveled up the state’s east coast earlier in the month, causing wind and water damage in numerous communities.

On Monday, Gov. Rick Scott reported the Obama administration had only approved portions of the state’s request for a major disaster declaration. To date, funding for individual assistance or for local communities to address damage to roads, parks and government buildings has not been approved, the governor’s office reported.

“Many families and businesses have lost everything,” Scott said in a Monday statement. “Homes were destroyed, businesses have shut down and are unable to pay their employees, roads are torn up and many of our beaches have suffered severe erosion. I am very disappointed that President Obama has not yet approved our entire request for a major disaster declaration. We are waiting on the President to approve funding to help families and businesses pay for things like temporary housing, home repairs and living expenses.”

Scott's full statement can be read on the governor's website.

Hurricane Matthew’s arrival came during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. This latest disturbance cropped up right outside the traditional time frame for the peak’s mid-August to mid-October run. Its appearance is well within the season though, which runs annually from June 1 to Nov. 30.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation, read these related Patch stories:

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s Peak is Now
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season continues, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website, and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

Graphic courtesy of NOAA