70% Chance Tropical Wave Strengthens by weekend as wave moves over Bahamas, toward Florida

By: Contributor

A tropical wave over the southeastern and central Bahamas is highly likely to form into a tropical depression or possibly Tropical Storm Humberto in the next 48 hours as its projected cut across Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The system has a 70 percent chance of forming into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours and an 80 percent chance of doing so in the next five days, the NHC said.

The NHC said:

Conditions are becoming favorable for a tropical depression or a tropical storm to form within the next day or so as the system moves toward the northwest through the northwestern Bahamas and toward the Florida Peninsula at 5 to 10 mph.

If the system becomes organized 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.