The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season may not officially start until Thursday — not that Florida would choose to participate after the 2022 season — but the National Hurricane Center is already monitoring a cluster of storms in the Gulf of Mexico, projected to move east into Florida that has an outside chance of developing into a depression.
In its 2 p.m. Tropical Weather Outlook Tuesday, the NHC gave an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms a 10% percent chance of developing in the next two days and a 20% chance in the next week. The forecast remained unchanged in the 8 p.m. forecast.
"Environmental conditions appear only marginally favorable for additional development over the next several days as the system meanders over the eastern Gulf of Mexico," the forecast said. "The system is then forecast to move across the Florida Peninsula this weekend and emerge into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean by early next week."
Regardless of if it develops, the system is expected to produce some heavy rainfall and gusty winds over portions of Florida this week — rain in Florida in June, there's a novel concept. But it's as good a time as any to get your plans in order for the upcoming hurricane season — see the News-Gazette next week for our annual expanded Hurricane Season section.
