The system may turn into a tropical depression and affect Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A group of thunderstorms near the Yucatan Peninsula could develop into a tropical depression or storm over the coming days and bring heavy rain to South Florida next week.

The system, Invest 93L, has a 40% chance of developing within the next two days and an 80% chance within the next seven days, the National Hurricane Center said.

“Long-range models will arrive in the Panhandle on Wednesday,” said Steve Weigle, chief meteorologist at WPTV First Alert Weather.

Investing 93L will likely become depressed late this weekend as it moves north into the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

“This is likely to impact us as we head into the next couple of days,” WPTV meteorologist Steve Villanueva said.

If the tropical system moves just 50 miles to the east, it could bring some “heavy rain and storms” to South Florida, Weigel said.

Track the tropics: Hurricane Center | Hurricane guide

Villanueva said the area of ​​disturbed weather will move north into the Gulf of Mexico by Monday and could affect areas from the Panhandle to Big Bend in Florida.

“The European computer model, in particular, circles a tropical system and then takes it toward the Big Bend region of Florida,” Villanueva said.

Next week could be “very windy here in South Florida,” Villanueva said, with our forecast calling for scattered thunderstorms and a 70% chance of rain on Tuesday, 60% on Wednesday, and 60% on Thursday.

WPTV

“Rain is likely, mostly on the Gulf Coast, where the bulk of the moisture will be. But here in South Florida, we could get some good rain starting in the middle of next week,” Villanueva said.

Elsewhere in the tropics, Tropical Storm Franklin is located north of Hispaniola, and is expected to intensify in strength and turn into a hurricane as it moves northward, remaining west of Bermuda.

“It could become a Category 2 hurricane within the next couple of days with winds of 110 mph,” Villanueva said. “But after that, it accelerates toward the North Atlantic and dissipates.”

Meanwhile, the remnants of Tropical Storm Emily, located 1,000 miles east-southeast of Bermuda, could strengthen again as it moves northward over the mid-Atlantic.

Finally, there is a 20% chance that a wave will develop in the mid-Atlantic over the next two days, and a 50% chance over the next seven days, but it will not impact South Florida, according to Villanueva.