The National Hurricane Center forecast a 60% chance that a tropical depression or storm could form in the Atlantic and potentially threaten Florida in the next five days.
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center, in their 8 am update, predict a large nontropical low pressure system will grow this weekend over the northeastern Caribbean Sea and southwestern Atlantic near Puerto Rico. It could become Tropical Storm Nicole if it grows in strength.
The system is large and disorganized, but could begin to acquire subtropical or tropical characteristics, and a subtropical or tropical depression could form during the early to middle portion of next week while the system moves generally westward to west-northwestward over the southwestern Atlantic.
Regardless of development, there is an increasing risk of coastal flooding, gale-force winds, heavy rainfall, rough surf, and beach erosion along much of the Florida east coast, the southeastern United States coast, and portions of the central and northwestern Bahamas during the early to middle part of next week.
The disturbance is also expected to bring locally heavy rainfall to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands this weekend.
