Tropical Storm Florence developed Saturday morning west of the Cabo Verde Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The first is a tropical wave over the Caribbean that has the potential to move into the Gulf of Mexico by the middle of next week.
Tropical moisture will feed the development of showers and storms over parts of the Northern Plains, Lower Great Lakes, the mid-Atlantic and the OH and Tennessee valleys, as well as the Gulf Coast, on Saturday and Sunday.
If the tropical storm forms, it would become the sixth named storm of the Atlantic season.
We are still seeing the GFS bring this up to hurricane strength while the Euro tops this out at tropical storm strength. Moisture from the tropical wave south of Florida will increase beginning tomorrow afternoon.
This potential tropical cyclone is just off the west coast of Africa, about 400 east southeast of the Cape Verde Islands.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the islands, where the National Hurricane Center warns of four to eight inches of rain, life-threatening flash floods and tropical-storm-force winds for the southern islands.
If the storm is named it will be called Florence.
It will strengthen very slowly over the next 48 to 72 hours as it tracks westward with time, but this will likely remain a "fish storm" with no impact to land. Residents from Florida to the Upper Texas Coast should monitor the forecast through the Labor Day Weekend for updates.
Seven-day forecast from the ECMWF. However, the hurricane center said when the system moves into the northern Gulf of Mexico early next week, conditions could become more favorable. The NHC is giving the wave a 40 percent chance of tropical development over the next five days.
