MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- Maria and Lee, the two bona fide tropical systems in the Atlantic, have started -- or will soon start -- to move east and away from the United States east coast, and upper-level winds plus cooler environmental conditions will lead both systems to become post-tropical cyclones.
A wave of disturbed conditions near western Cuba will drift to the north, supported by an upper low over the southern Gulf. Higher upper-level winds should prevent rapid development of this disturbance, but it will still be capable of spreading rain across the Florida peninsula this weekend and generating occasionally gusty winds for the Atlantic coast. The disturbance will run into an advancing cold front in north Florida Saturday and Sunday, which will make it move toward the west. The window of opportunity for the disturbance to become a true tropical low is somewhat limited, but periods of rain and gusts are forecast for the Florida peninsula regardless of the form the system ultimately takes.
Next week, a separate low-pressure system is forecast to develop in the western Caribbean and may exhibit signs of tropical development. It is too soon to give specifics about development, strength, or movement of this possible system, but trends and activity will be closely monitored in the western Caribbean next week.
