The National Hurricane Center’s 8PM Tropical Weather Outlook now has that Bahamian Blob at a 50% chance of development within the next week. A tropical depression has even odds of forming as the storm system skirts the Florida coast. Fortunately, it’s expected to steer out to sea, but not without dropping some locally heavy rain along the way mainly in southeast / east central Florida (and maybe a few soggy days at Castaway Cay). In the meantime though, we may actually benefit from some slightly drier days, as this thing tries to suck in all the available moisture. More to come… and no need to change any plans unless you’re the Wicked Witch.
Tropical Weather Outlook NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 800 PM EDT Thu Aug 22 2019 For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico: The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Depression Chantal, located several hundred miles southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. 1. Satellite and surface observations show that a broad area of low pressure has formed just northwest of Andros Island in the central Bahamas. This system continues to produce a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms that extend eastward over the western Atlantic for a few hundred miles. Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for additional development during the next several days, and a tropical depression could form over the weekend or early next week while the system moves near the coast of east-central Florida and then offshore of the southeast United States coast. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains are possible over portions of the central and northwest Bahamas, and the east-central and southeast Florida peninsula during the next few days. * Formation chance through 48 hours...low...30 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...medium...50 percent.