National Hurricane Center puts Invest 97L label on storm farther east: Development potential
Invest 97L, an area of low pressure associated with tropical wave, has piqued enough interest from forecasters to get the tracking moniker. The system has a medium chance for development. That could come next week.
Invest 96L had disorganized showers and thunderstorms with a lower chance to develop into a tropical depression next week, as well, NHC forecasters said in their Tropical Weather Outlook.
A system of low pressure that was being tracked off the coast of North Carolina has dissipated, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
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The next named storms of the Atlantic hurricane season will be Erin and Fernand. The fifth-named storm of the season historically develops Aug. 22, followed by the sixth-named storm on Aug. 29, according to AccuWeather.
"The tropics remain quiet, and are likely to stay that way for another 10 days or more." said Ryan Truchelut, WeatherTiger meteorologist who provides regular hurricane season forecasts for the USA TODAY Network. "Still, we know well hurricane seasons can be nowhere to be found, then suddenly impossible to avoid. While there is hope the active peak months of hurricane season may not translate into another awful year in human terms, the reality is that U.S. hurricane impacts are likely and to be expected over the next few months."
In short, be prepared.
Here's the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center as of 2 p.m. Aug. 9:
Where are Invest 96L and Invest 97L, and where are they going?
Invest 96L is a tropical wave in the central Atlantic moving northward. Invest 97L is a broad area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave that is moving west-northwestward across the easter and central tropical Atlantic.
They both could become a tropical depression early to mid next week.
Spaghetti models for Invest 97L
Spaghetti models for Invest 96L
Special note about spaghetti models: 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.
➤ Track Invest 96L
➤ How often has Florida been impacted, threatened by August hurricanes? We took a look back
What tropical waves, disturbances are in Atlantic basin now? How likely are they to strengthen?
Invest 97L: A broad area of low pressure, associated with a tropical wave, is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms just off the west coast of Africa. Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form by the middle to latter portion of next week while moving west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the easternand central tropical Atlantic. Locally heavy rainfall is possible Sunday and Monday across portions of the Cabo Verde Islands.
Formation chance through 48 hours: low, 10 percent.
Formation chance through seven days: medium, 50 percent.
Invest 96L: Disorganized showers and thunderstorms are occurring in association with a tropical wave over the central tropical Atlantic. Development of this system appears unlikely during the next day or two due tosurrounding dry air, but some gradual development is possible during the early or middle part of next week while the system moves northwestward to northward across the central Atlantic.
Formation chance through 48 hours: low, near 0 percent.
Formation chance through seven days: low, 20 percent.
Heavy rains likely for Northeast Florida and Coastal Southeast Georgia
"The front lingering near the Florida/Georgia border — along with normal sea breezes — is expected to bring plenty of rain to Northeast Florida," according to Paige Klingler, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Jacksonville in a phone interview Friday morning. Also expect rough surf and dangerous rip currents.
The five-day rain forecast for Northeast Florida is 2-5 inches, with some areas possibly seeing 6-8 inches. Localized flash flooding remains a risk through the weekend.
Heavy rains at times will also be seen in South Florida, forecasts show, with areas of poor drainage susceptable to flooding.
Is there a hurricane coming toward Florida?
No, but remember conditions can change rapidly.
The busiest period of the hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-October and activity is picking up.
What do the colored, hatched areas on the NOAA map mean?
The hatched areas on the National Hurricane Center's tropical outlook map indicate "areas where a tropical cyclone — which could be a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane — could develop," said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.
The colors make it visibly clear how likely a system could develop, with yellow being low, orange medium, and red high.
The National Hurricane Center generally doesn't issue tropical advisories until there is a named storm, but there is an exception.
"If a system is near land and there is potential for development, the National Hurricane Center won't wait before it issues advisories, even if the system hasn't become an actual storm. This gives residents time to prepare," Rhome said.
What should you do now to prepare for hurricane season?
Officials regularly encourage Florida residents to prepare for storms before a hurricane is approaching while shelves are full stocked and you aren't battling crowds all rushing to the store at the same time.
"It only takes one storm to make it an impactful year for your community," the National Hurricane Center Miami posted on X. "Hurricane season is a marathon, not a sprint."
On Aug. 1, specific hurricane supplies became permanently tax free in Florida, ranging from batteries to generators.
➤ See list of emergency supplies you can now buy tax free
Florida weather radar for Aug. 9, 2025
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said.
The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
Hurricane names for 2025 season
Here are the names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, along with how to pronounce them:
Andrea (June 20)
Barry (June 29)
Chantal (July 5)
Dexter (Aug. 3)
Erin: AIR-rin
Fernand: fair-NAHN
Gabrielle: ga-bree-ELL
Humberto: oom-BAIR-toh
Imelda: ee-MEHL-dah
Jerry: JEHR-ee
Karen: KAIR-ren
Lorenzo: loh-REN-zoh
Melissa: meh-LIH-suh
Nestor: NES-tor
Olga: OAL-guh
Pablo: PAHB-lo
Rebekah: reh-BEH-kuh
Sebastien: se-BAS-tee-en
Tanya: TAHN-yuh
Van: van
Wendy: WEN-dee
National Hurricane Center map: See what forecasters watching now
Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include:
Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city
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What's next?
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Hurricane Center tracks Invest 97L and 96L for storm activity
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