Tropical wave could develop near Bahamas, track toward Florida/Georgia

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Forecasters are keeping track of a tropical disturbance that will move near the Bahamas this week before approaching portions of the U.S. east coast.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said an area of disturbed weather several hundred miles east of the Bahamas is associated with a surface trough and an upper-level area of low pressure.

“Environmental conditions could be conducive for some development of this system during the next few days while it moves westward or west-northwestward,” the NHC said.

NHC forecasters are giving the system a 30% risk of developing into a tropical depression or storm within the next seven days.

The system is expected to drift towards the Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina coasts – particularly the Georgia and Florida coasts by the week’s end.

“We saw this coming last week knowing this was going to bring in some scattered showers and even a few thunderstorms later this week and into the weekend,” said Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Josh Marthers. “That’s really all it does. If it becomes a tropical depression, it really doesn’t change our forecast much.”

Another tropical wave in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico could become a tropical depression or tropical storm by the middle of the week as it moves westward toward the western Gulf Coast.

Keep checking counton2.com for updates.