Hurricane forecasters watching system in Caribbean

Forecasters on Wednesday were watching a disturbance in the eastern Caribbean that could develop into a tropical system by early next week, along with another system in the Atlantic.

Neither of the disturbances poses an imminent threat to Florida as of Wednesday.

According to its evening update, the National Hurricane Center expects an area of low pressure to form in the eastern Caribbean over the weekend. The system could slowly develop as it moves west or west-northwest into the central Caribbean by the end of the weekend, possibly becoming a tropical depression by early next week, forecasters said.

The system has a near 0% chance of developing by Friday and a 50% chance of forming by Monday, according to the 8 p.m. update.

A second system in the southern Atlantic was stretching from the eastern Caribbean north to the southwest Atlantic. The disturbance was producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, forecasters said. The north part of the system could become a surface cyclone by the weekend, then gradually develop as it drifts north, according to the Hurricane Center.

However, forecasters expect the system to meander over the western Atlantic to the west or southwest of Bermuda. The disturbance will likely hit some upper-level winds that will lower the system’s chance of further development this weekend. The system has a 40% chance of formation by Friday and a 50% chance by Monday, according to the 8 p.m. update.

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