Sunshine in Tampa Bay; New Tropical Disturbance Forms

TAMPA, FL — As the Tampa Bay area continues to dry out from Hurricane Hermine’s pass by the area, forecasters say the region is in for a few welcomed days of sunshine. That doesn’t mean, however, that residents should let their guard down as the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season continues.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center were tracking three separate storm systems on Tuesday morning. The remains of Hermine, now classified a post-tropical cyclone, were moving along the New England coastline Tuesday. That storm had lost its defined circulation, but was still packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

The disturbance that formed while Hermine was making headlines last week was located over the central Caribbean Sea Tuesday morning. The system isn’t expected to create any issues for Florida on its present course that will take it over Hispaniola, Jamaica and eastern Cuba. That storm has been given only a 10 percent chance of developing more over the next five days.

The latest disturbance on the scene is a tropical wave located off Africa’s west coast. That storm is currently disorganized, but is creating cloudiness and thunderstorms, forecasters say.

“Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system,” hurricane center forecasters wrote in Tuesday’s Tropical Weather Outlook report.

Forecasters have given the disturbance a 60 percent chance of developing more over the next five days. It’s still too early to tell what track the storm might take if it develops more.

Meanwhile, forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office say Tampa Bay is in for a dry start to the workweek. Mostly sunny and sunny conditions are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday both. Daily highs should reach the low 90s with overnight lows in the low 70s anticipated.

Thursday is expected to kick off with a sunny start, but storm chances move into the forecast in the afternoon hours. The day’s high should reach about 90 degrees. Scattered storms are also in the cards Thursday night when the low should reach about 75 degrees in much of the region. Friday brings a 40 percent chance of scattered storms and an anticipated high around 90. Isolated storms are possible Friday night with a low in the mid-70s.

Hurricane season continues through Nov. 31. The period between mid-August and mid-October is considered its peak. To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation in the Tampa Bay area, read these related Patch stories:

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 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 develops, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

Images courtesy of the National Hurricane Center