Tropical Depression Looms in Caribbean, Florida on Alert

Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center have raised the alert for a potential tropical depression formation in the Northwestern Caribbean Sea to 60 percent, with early projections indicating a path toward Florida’s panhandle.

In the 2 P.M. update on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center reported a "broad area of low pressure" positioned over the borders of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. The forecast predicts a northward trajectory that will take it across the easternmost tip of Mexico and into the Gulf of Mexico, where the system is expected to gain strength.

While the current probability of this low-pressure system becoming a tropical depression within the next 48 hours remains at ten percent, the chances increase significantly over the next seven days to 60 percent.

This impending weather development coincides with Florida’s ongoing disaster preparedness tax holidays, offering tax savings on essential items like batteries, ice, and portable generators.

NOAA now estimates a 60 percent likelihood of an above-average hurricane season, doubling the initial 30 percent forecast in May. Contributing factors include exceptionally warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures, the highest recorded since 1950, along with delayed El Nino-associated effects.