Storm tracker: System could bring heavy rain to Florida, Gulf Coast in coming days
Hurricane center forecasters said the trough is currently producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms across portions of Florida, the northwestern Bahamas and adjacent Atlantic waters.
"The system is expected to move westward across Florida during the next day or so, and into the northeastern Gulf by late Tuesday," the hurricane center said July 14, noting that environmental conditions appear "favorable enough to support some gradual development" of the system.
"Regardless of development, heavy rainfall could produce localized flash flooding over portions of Florida and the north-central Gulf coast through the middle to latter portion of this week," hurricane forecasters said.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and will last through the end of November.
Active hurricane weather typically peaks between mid-August and mid-October.
Atlantic storm tracker
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
How do hurricanes form?
Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression.
A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reaches 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane.
Prepare now for hurricanes
Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
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