A tropical depression will likely form in the Gulf. Here’s the MS Coast forecast.
A new disturbance off the eastern coast of Central America will likely move into the Caribbean Sea this weekend and strengthen to a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said at 7 p.m. Thursday.
It’s too early to say if the system will impact South Mississippi, which will mark the 18th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday.
The disturbance is a broad area of low pressure that forecasters first spotted in the Pacific near Central America. Forecasters predict it will reach the northwestern Caribbean this weekend and said “gradual development” into a tropical depression is likely over the next seven days (70%).
The NHC in Miami said Thursday night that the Yucatan Peninsula, western Cuba and Florida should pay close attention to the disturbance.
Tropical Storm Franklin forecast to become hurricane
Tropical Storm Franklin is forecast to become a hurricane on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday afternoon. It is slowly gaining strength as it moves away from the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos.
It had sustained winds of 60 mph as it moved into the southwestern Atlantic Thursday afternoon, but is tracking away from Mississippi.
Other disturbances could strengthen in Atlantic
Two other disturbances in the Atlantic could form over the next seven days but do not pose a threat to the Mississippi Coast.
The remnants of former Tropical Storm Emily are 1,000 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and were producing showers and thunderstorms Thursday morning. The National Hurricane Center said by Thursday afternoon, the system has lost organization but warned it could still become a tropical depression or storm over the next few days as it moves north in the central Atlantic. It’s formation chance over the next two to seven days is 50% — a decrease from the forecast Thursday morning.
Another disturbance in the Atlantic is producing showers and thunderstorms between the Cabo Verde Islands and the northern Lesser Antilles. Forecasters said a tropical depression could form next week as the system moves northwest in the central Atlantic.
Its formation chance over two days is only 20%, but by Thursday afternoon its chance of formation over seven days rose to 50%.
This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 9:21 AM.