A tropical weather system is brewing in the Atlantic as a potential Hurricane around Florida. Strong winds in the state have already caused flooding in coastal areas and heavy rainfall occurred during Sunday and Monday.
The system called 99L is likely to become Tropical Depression Eight and Tropical Storm Hermine later this week. The weather system is at present located about 1,600kms southeast of Miami. The prediction is that the weather system will take a general west to west-northwest path near Puerto Rico on Wednesday night.
The weatherman said, "The exact track of 99L will have a big impact on when the system strengthens."
With the mountainous terrain in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola in place, the weather system will capitalize and strengthen all throughout Thursday. The system could become Tropical Depression Eight at any time now but it will be by the end of the week that it turns into a tropical storm.
"99L has the potential to become very well-organized southeast of Florida this weekend," the weatherman continued.
Rapid strengthening is possible if the system stays off the coast of Cuba this weekend. The system could become a hurricane upon or prior to approaching Florida waters. However, if the system ends up tracking over Cuba, strengthening could delay further.
The last hurricane to strike the Florida Peninsula was Wilma during October 2005.
During the first part of next week, a path north of Florida, just off the Atlantic coast of the United States is likely to be blocked. This is because 99L could move into the east of Gulf of Mexico earlier next week.
If the storm enters the Gulf of Mexico, a landfall along the upper Gulf coast of the U.S. as a hurricane would be a possibility during the middle part of next week.
Image Credit: mynews13.com
