Brewing Storms May Bring Heavy Rains To FL: See Latest Forecast

Two new potential tropical disturbances have popped up in the Atlantic as of Thursday morning, including one right off the coast of Florida, experts said.

Those in the Sunshine State are watching an area of low pressure that may form along a remnant frontal boundary near the northwestern Bahamas and southern Florida over the next couple of days.

Calling the system “weak” in a Facebook post, Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for Tampa Bay 28, also said that it’s “unlikely to develop,” though it will bring rain to Florida over the weekend.

While there’s a low risk of development in this area through Sunday, it’s expected to bring locally heavy downpours across Florida and the U.S. Southeast from this weekend into early next week, AccuWeather said.

Tropical moisture from the system will “fuel widespread thunderstorms” that increase the risk of flash flooding across the region.

Slow development of this area is predicted as the system moves northwest across the Florida peninsula and into the Gulf, NHC said. It has a 10 percent chance of strengthening in the next two days.

A tropical wave expected to move off Africa’s west coast by the weekend has a 20 percent chance of strengthening into a tropical depression or storm over the next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As it moves west-northwest across the eastern tropical Atlantic, it’s expected to interact with another disturbance and some slow development is expected when they combine, forecasters said.

This system has a medium risk of tropical development over the central Atlantic from Oct. 6 to 8, AccuWeather hurricane experts said. It could impact the eastern Caribbean during the second week of October.

At the same time, a high-pressure system from Canada is bringing winds to Florida, Fox 13 reported. Breezy conditions are expected across the state Thursday through Sunday.

A small craft advisory is in effect for most of the state through Sunday, the National Weather Service in the Tampa Bay area wrote in a post to X.

“Seas of 5 to 8 feet will be possible offshore with 3 to 5 feet nearshore and choppy rough inland winds,” NWS wrote.

Here’s the latest forecast for the Tampa Bay area from the NWS:

• Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 2 and 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East northeast wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Thursday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Northeast wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10 percent.
• Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East northeast wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Friday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. East northeast wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Saturday: Scattered showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 11 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. East wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
• Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2 a.m., then isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. East wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
• Sunday: Isolated showers before 8 a.m., then scattered showers and thunderstorms between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Southeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
• Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then isolated showers and thunderstorms between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. East wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.