With the first day of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday, a tropical area in the Gulf of Mexico could bring strong showers and storms across the state of Florida in the coming days.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami reports the area is currently in the central part of the Gulf, with forecasts having it moving across Florida by this weekend and into the Atlantic Ocean.
A 10 percent chance of development into a named storm was forecast over the next two days with a 20 percent chance over the next seven days.
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While it's not expected to become a named storm, the area could bring heavy rainfall and gusty winds to portions of the state over the next few days.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a "near-normal" 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, with 12-17 named storms expected according to predictions released May 25.
Of those named storms, five to nine are expected to be hurricanes and one to four could be major hurricanes.
