Forecasters Say 80 Percent Development Chance Over 48 Hours

BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — The National Hurricane Center is closely monitoring a tropical system that has an 80 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression within 48 hours and a 90 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression with in 5 days. The next name: Zeta. The system is marked by the “red x” that you see in the official hurricane center map, above.
The first, early Saturday morning forecast calls says “interests in western Cuba, the Florida Keys, and southern Florida should monitor the progress of this disturbance.”
Here’s the 8AM update from the national Hurricane Center (we’ve updated from our original report. The 2A forecast remains, below):
Tropical Weather Outlook NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 800 AM EDT Sat Oct 24 2020 For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico: The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Epsilon, located over the west-central Atlantic Ocean. Satellite, radar and surface data indicate that a broad area of low pressure located just southwest of Grand Cayman Island is gradually becoming better organized, with a better defined wind circulation, increasing thunderstorm activity and falling surface pressures since yesterday. Environmental conditions are conducive for further development, and a tropical depression is expected to form within the next day or so while the low drifts toward the north and northwest. The system could move near western Cuba on Monday and move slowly across the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday. Interests in western Cuba, the Florida Keys, and the Yucatan Peninsula should monitor the progress of this disturbance. A NOAA Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the disturbance this afternoon. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall will be possible over portions of the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Cuba through early next week. * Formation chance through 48 hours...high...90 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...high...90 percent.
Here is the the 2AM update from the National Hurricane Center:
Tropical Weather Outlook NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 200 AM EDT Sat Oct 24 2020 For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico: The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Epsilon, located over the west-central Atlantic a couple of hundred miles northeast of Bermuda. 1. Satellite and surface observations indicate that a broad area of low pressure has redeveloped just south of Grand Cayman Island. Shower and thunderstorm activity continues to increase in organization, and environmental conditions are expected to remain conducive for further development. A tropical depression will likely form during the next day or two while the low drifts toward the northwest or north. The system could move near western Cuba by Sunday and move slowly across the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by early next week. Interests in western Cuba, the Florida Keys, and southern Florida should monitor the progress of this disturbance. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall will be possible over portions of the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, southern Florida, the Florida Keys, and the northwestern Bahamas through the weekend and into early next week. * Formation chance through 48 hours...high...80 percent. * Formation chance through 5 days...high...90 percent.