ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Although we would all like to see the closure of tropical storm season, we are continuing to keep a watchful eye on the Atlantic basin for potential developments.
The latest update as of Friday evening includes a new tag on a broad area of low pressure located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone Fifteen. This area continues to produce widespread showers and thunderstorms and is gradually becoming better defined near eastern Honduras.
Some development is possible over the next day or two, and a short-lived tropical depression or tropical storm could form before the system moves inland over Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on Saturday.
Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is likely across portions of Central America and southern Mexico through the weekend.
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Belize City, Belize to Tulum, Mexico. This means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, slightly out to the east of PTC 15, an area of low-pressure, tagged AL-94, is near the Leeward Islands.
Development, if any, should be slow to occur while it moves quickly westward, passing near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Friday, and near Hispaniola and the southeastern Bahamas on Saturday. By late this weekend, further development is not expected due to strong upper-level winds.
Fortunately, the strong cold front that pushed through earlier this week will act as a blockade, keeping the systems well away from Florida.
Once we do get a named system to form, the next name on the list is Nadine. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
For more weather updates and information, download the free 10 Tampa Bay app to your device.