ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A tropical wave bubbling about the Caribbean could become a cyclone in the coming days and potentially impact Florida.
The National Hurricane Center and the 10News weather team are carefully monitoring an area of showers and storms associated with a tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean Sea. As it moves westward, it will come in contact with parts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.
Because of this land interaction, the disturbance has no ability to strengthen.
However, forecasters are giving it a 0-percent shot over the next two days and a -- still-low -- 10-percent chance through this week of developing into a tropical depression or storm over the Straits of Florida.
The European computer model, in particular, tries to develop the system along Florida's eastern coast but curves it back to sea. The American model is not so optimistic with any sort of tropical development.
The other wave we will continue to follow is just off the coast of Africa. This is a popular place for development. We are in Cape Verde season, which is the most popular time for waves to develop near the Cape Verde islands and because of our upper-level wind patterns help to steer the cluster of thunderstorms or the disturbance westward across the Atlantic.
At this point, it is really far to tell if we would have any impacts and if this area will develop. Something we will watch, monitor and update you if we have any information.
Should anything happen with this tropical wave, it remains at least several days out and still difficult to determine what, if any, impacts it has on the state of Florida. 10News meteorologists will keep an eye on it. You should, too, and make sure you're ready for hurricane season by preparing a kit.
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