The National Hurricane Center designated a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic as Invest 91L, Thursday afternoon, Sept. 4.
Conditions are favorable for additional development and the disturbance is “likely to become a tropical depression by the weekend,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
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The system is expected to approach the Lesser Antilles by the middle of the week, which also happens to coincide with the peak of hurricane season on Sept. 10.
Spaghetti models for Invest 91L. See expected path
Special note about spaghetti models: Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
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What you should know about Invest 91L
Invest 91L is a broad area of low pressure that has formed along a tropical wave over the eastern tropical Atlantic.
Recent satellite imagery suggests the system continues to slowly become better organized with shower and thunderstorm activity along its eastern periphery, the National Hurricane Center said.
Environmental conditions are favorable for additional development of the system and a tropical depression is likely to form by this weekend as it moves slowly westward at 5 to 10 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.
Residents in the Lesser Antilles and Leeward Islands should monitor the progress of this system as it approachesfrom the east by the middle of next week.
Is there a hurricane approaching Florida?
It’s too early to determine if Invest 91L will impact Florida, the National Weather Service Melbourne said.
The disturbance is in the far eastern Atlantic, well away from land, and no watches or warnings have been issued as of Thursday afternoon.
What residents and visitors should do is monitor the system closely for updates, forecasters said.
If you haven’t prepared a hurricane supply kit or checked your home, now is the time to do it.
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Officials regularly encourage Florida residents to prepare for storms before a hurricane is approaching, while shelves are fully stocked and you aren’t battling crowds all rushing to the store at the same time.
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“It only takes one storm to make it an impactful year for your community,” the National Hurricane Center Miami posted on X.
➤ See list of emergency supplies you can now buy tax free
On Aug. 1, specific hurricane supplies became permanently tax-free in Florida, ranging from batteries to generators.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: See spaghetti models for Invest 91L. Should Florida be concerned? What to know, how to prepare
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
