System in Atlantic expected to strengthen into tropical depression or storm

Tracking the Tropics: August 9, 2021

The FOX 35 Storm Team is tracking Potential Tropical Cyclone No. 6 as it approaches the Caribbean. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center believe the system will become better organized on Tuesday and could become a tropical depression or storm.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The FOX 35 Storm Team is tracking a system in the Atlantic that could move near or over Florida, forecast models show.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that there is a low-pressure system of showers and thunderstorms located about 150 miles southeast of Guadaloupe. It continues to show signs of organization and is expected to develop more as environmental conditions remain conducive.

They said that the system is likely to become a tropical storm on Tuesday while moving west-northwest around 16 mph. This general motion is expected to continue during the next few days.

On the forecast track, the disturbance is expected to move across the southern Leeward Islands during the next few hours, pass near or over the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico late Tuesday and Tuesday night, and be near or over Hispaniola on Wednesday.

The latest forecast modeling shows the system moving near or over Florida this weekend as a tropical storm.

"At this point, heavy rain looks to be the primary impact," said FOX 35 Meteorologist Brooks Garner.

TRACK THE TROPICS: Visit the FOX 35 Storm Team Hurricane Center for the latest tropical weather outlook and more

"We definitely want you to stay aware of what’s happening as conditions change rapidly," FOX 35 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist Jayme King said. "It could be closer to us here in Florida by maybe Friday into Saturday — late this week and into the weekend."

Formation chances reportedly stand at 80 percent over the next two to five days. If it becomes a named storm, it will be called Fred.

Earlier on Monday, the NHC was also tracking another system of disorganized showers and thunderstorms located several hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles. However, it now has a zero percent chance of further development over the next two to five days.

The peak of hurricane season is still a few weeks away, so you can expect even more storms to develop in the near future.