CONE, MODELS, SATELLITE: Tropical Storm Ida forms in the Caribbean

3 systems swirl in tropics

ORLANDO, Fla. – The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor three systems in the tropics, including Tropical Storm Ida.

Ida formed around 5:20 p.m. Thursday and is now about 65 miles southeast of Grand Cayman. Ida is expected to become a hurricane on a projected path toward Louisiana by late Sunday or early Monday.

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This tropical storm is forecast to move northwest over the northwestern Caribbean Sea near the Cayman Islands on Thursday, near Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on Friday and into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend.

Locally heavy rainfall and flooding will be possible over portions of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and will likely spread across Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday. In addition, this system could bring dangerous impacts from storm surge, wind and heavy rainfall to portions of the coasts of Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi late this weekend and early next week.

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Elsewhere, a broad trough of low pressure is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the central tropical Atlantic, about 650 miles east of Bermuda.

Environmental conditions are forecast to be generally conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form late this week or this weekend while the system moves slowly northeast over the central Atlantic.

It has a 70% chance to develop over the next five days.

And a tropical wave over the far eastern tropical Atlantic, several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

Some development of this system is possible over the next several days while it moves west-northwest at 10 to 15 mph over the eastern tropical Atlantic.

Upper-level winds are forecast to become less conducive for development by early next week.

The wave has a 70% chance to develop over the next five days.

As of now, none of the systems is expected to have a direct impact on Central Florida.

The next named storms after Ida will be Julian and Kate.

The peak of hurricane season is Sept. 10.

Hurricane season runs through November.


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About the Authors

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

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