ORLANDO, Fla. _ A tropical wave slowly heading west toward the Bahamas and Florida has highly increased chances of developing into an organized storm and possibly Tropical Storm Humberto over the next five days, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The wave, which is just east of the Bahamas over the Turks and Caicos, has a 60% chance of developing into a tropical depression in the next five days and a 20% chance in the next 48 hours.
Should the system organize into a tropical depression it will be the ninth recorded depression of the year, and if it then grows to maintain at least 39 mph sustained winds, it would become Tropical Storm Humberto.
The system is expected to bring thunderstorms and disorganized showers over the Bahamas Thursday, the NHC reported.
Tropical-storm-force wind gusts have been reported in some of the heavier squalls.
Florida is expected to receive said winds and thunderstorms this weekend, said WOFL meteorologist Jayme King.
"Much of the Florida Peninsula will be on the Eastern side of the system," King said. "This will provide the area with increasing breezes and periods of heavy tropical rainfall Friday-Sunday."
A tropical depression could form as the system moves through the Florida Straits where environmental conditions are expected to become more favorable for tropical transformation this weekend.
There two other systems with low chance of experiencing tropical maturity in the next two-to-five days, the NHC showed.
The first is located in the mid Atlantic, 650 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. This system is expected to move west and into unfavorable wind conditions giving it only a 10% chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next 48 hours and another 10% within the next five days.
The second is located just off the Cabo Verde Islands and is quickly moving west. The NHC expects to see slow development over the weekend where it has a 20% chance of tropical development.
