Florida

Tropical Depression 13 Could Become Named Storm; South Florida in Cone of Concern

No watches have been placed on South Florida or anywhere in the southeastern United States

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What to Know

  • A depression in the Atlantic had maximum winds of 35 miles per hour Thursday
  • Forecasters expect the storm to increase to tropical storm strength at some point and possibly a hurricane
  • Rainfall is expected anywhere between one and five inches for areas in the Caribbean.

South Florida remained in the cone of concern for the latest tropical depression that could become a named tropical storm as early as Thursday or Friday.

The 5 p.m. Thursday advisory from the National Hurricane Center had Tropical Depression 13 with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour while 615 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands traveling to the west-northwest at 21 mph.

A tropical storm watch was in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin, St. Barhelemy, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Marteen, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla. No watches have been placed on South Florida or anywhere in the southeastern United States as of Thursday.

Forecasters expect the storm to increase to tropical storm strength at some point Thursday, and advised residents in the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to prepare for effects from the system as early as Friday.

Rainfall is expected anywhere between one and six inches for areas in the Caribbean.

The latest track takes the system just north of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti by Saturday and Cuba on Sunday, while going over the Florida Keys and up the west coast of the state at some point Monday into Tuesday. But the system's exact path or impacts, if any, to the South Florida area are highly uncertain.

The good news is that the probability of tropical storm force winds is only at 12% for Saba in the northern Leeward Islands and only 9% for San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The system will likely have larger impacts for the Bahamas and South Florida if the track verifies. Impacts for this region would occur late this weekend for the Bahamas and early next week for South Florida.

The current probability of tropical storm force winds stands at 40% for Grand Turk, 35% for Andros, 28% for Key West and 19% for Miami. 

Meanwhile, another tropical wave became Tropical Depression 14 on Thursday with winds of 35 mph as it moved west at 18 mph. Tropical storm warnings were in place along the coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua with up to four inches of rain expected to fall.

The NHC said the center of the system will move just north of Honduras on Friday and will approach the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on Saturday. It's then expected to cross into the south-central Gulf of Mexico on Sunday. The depression is expected to become a tropical storm later Thursday and could be near or at hurricane strength when it reaches Mexico.

Another wave over western Africa has a 10% chance of cyclone formation in the next two days.

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