ORLANDO, Fla. _ A tropical wave in the west Atlantic gained strength and has a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next five days, while another threatens rain Friday and Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday morning.
The tropical wave in the mid-Atlantic Ocean has continued to gain strength as it traverses through a "corridor of favorable conditions" for tropical development about 1,000 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, said WOFL-Fox 35 meteorologist Jayme King.
The storm is moving at 15 mph through an area of warm, moist air and low wind shear giving it a strong chance of organization and growth into a powerful system.
It has a 20% chance of development over the next 48 hours, according to the NHC's 8 a.m. update.
A disturbance that has enough circulation to become a tropical depression can have maximum sustained winds up to 38 mph. It becomes a named tropical storm if its sustained winds exceed 39 mph, and a hurricane with winds of more than 74 mph.
If it does strengthen, it could become the third named storm of the 2019 hurricane season, donning the name "Chantal."
The second tropical wave is stretched over the Bahamas and Cuba, and is expected to move up the east Florida coast, according to the NHC.
The storm should bring some heavy rain for Florida starting late Friday as it passes northerly where is could "briefly" encounter tropical-friendly factors, the NHC said.
While meteorologists are not overly concerned about the wave, it does have a 10% chance of tropical development.
"It's a small disorganized storm, but it's important to remember all of your Irmas, Michaels and Florences were all cute little things at one point," King said. "You have to keep your eyes on these things as we approach the peak of hurricane season."
Joe Mario Pedersen is a member of the Sentinel's Breaking News team. He's a native of Florida, the home of the Florida Man. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Joe is a University of Central Florida graduate with a major in Radio & Television. He worked for four years at The Villages Daily Sun, including on the newsroom's multimedia story projects.
