MIAMI – The Invest 93L system was in the northwest Caribbean, and it was likely to strengthen into a tropical depression in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and affect western and northern Florida as a tropical storm next week.
Collier County issued a statement warning residents that “exceptionally warm surface water in the Gulf of Mexico could allow any storm to intensify rapidly,” so they urged residents to take advantage of the “tax-free holiday” on disaster preparedness supplies.
There was a high probability of strengthening on Sunday and Monday, a tropical storm’s approach to Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday, and an impact on the Southeast coast on Wednesday and Thursday.
The name of the next tropical storm in the Atlantic is Idalia and the next will be Jose, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The National Hurricane Center was also tracking Tropical Storm Franklin, south of Bermuda; an area of low pressure east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands; and a tropical wave that was forecast to move off the west coast of Africa.
Stay informed on the latest forecast on this page, and this page, and sign up for free alerts here.