Meteorologists across Florida were watching weather patterns closely Wednesday as hurricane hunters flew into a developing system that forecasters say could turn into a tropical storm this week.
The system, dubbed tropical wave Invest 99L, hung in the Atlantic 100 miles north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday evening. The National Hurricane Center predicted the disturbance had an 80 percent chance of turning into a tropical depression and, with the right wind speed, Tropical Storm Hermine.
As of 8 p.m., the wave still did not have a well-defined circulation, according to reports from a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane.
"It's still very disorganized," said 10Weather WTSP chief meteorologist Jim Van Fleet. "On Thursday or early Friday, if we can find a center, then models will get more accurate. If it does impact Florida in any capacity, late Sunday, Monday and Tuesday would be the days to watch."
Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa, said if the system developed further in the next few days, it would likely prompt advisories across Florida.
"People in southeast and Central Florida just need to be prepared and stay abreast of the situation," Davis said. "This is just another very good reminder people should have hurricane preparedness plans ready."
He acknowledged that some Floridians may be unconcerned because a hurricane hasn't hit the area in more than a decade. But he said there's still time to get batteries and other supplies together if the storm turns ugly in the Tampa Bay area.
Southeast Florida likely would be the area hit hardest if the storm approaches Florida, said 10Weather WTSP meteorologist Ashley Batey.
She said a hurricane is unlikely, but that doesn't leave Central Florida off the hook.
Come Friday, Batey said, when the system is expected to move over warmer waters in the Bahamas, forecasters will have a better idea of where the system could be headed. That would mean the Miami area could get hit with severe storms as soon as Sunday. The Tampa Bay area likely wouldn't feel any possible effects until Monday or Tuesday, Batey said.
"If we luck out with this one, that's not to say there's not another one down the pike," Batey said. "We've still got two months of hurricane season left."
Times staff writer Claire McNeill contributed to this report. Contact Sara DiNatale at sdinatale@tampabay.com. Follow @sara_dinatale.