Invest 97L - a low pressure area in the Caribbean - has a "nearly 100% chance" of strengthening as it moves north or northwest, according to the latest hurricane forecast from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The NHC's hurricane bulletin states that within 48 hours, the system has a nearly 100% chance of developing, and a nearly 100% chance of continuing to strengthen over the next 7 days.
Low pressure Invest 97L is forecast to gradually develop in the next few days and become a tropical depression today (November 4) or November 5.
"Models show the low moving into the central Gulf of Mexico and potentially becoming a tropical depression early this week and then becoming a tropical storm by November 5 or 6," said Max Defender 8 meteorologist Eric Stone.
Meanwhile, Fox 35's latest storm report predicts that this low pressure will continue to strengthen and become Tropical Storm Rafael on November 4, becoming the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
In addition to the depression that is likely to strengthen into Rafael — the newest storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season — another system in the Caribbean, just north of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, is slowly developing.
A second depression is located to the east of the potential Hurricane Rafael depression near the Greater Antilles. As of November 3, it is located a few hundred kilometers east of the southeastern Bahamas, and is steadily moving westward, causing intermittent showers and thunderstorms.
The second low pressure is unlikely to strengthen and is expected to be absorbed by Rafael by the end of November 4, ending the possibility of developing into an independent storm or tropical depression.
"Regardless of how this system develops, it will produce locally heavy rainfall over the next several days across the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, eastern Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas," the NHC said.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Atlantic, subtropical storm Patty is impacting the Azores, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 km/h as it moves east. US hurricane forecasters expect Patty to weaken over the next few days.
According to FOX 35 forecasters, it's still too early to know the exact path of Hurricane Rafael. However, most computer models do not show the latest storm making landfall in central or southern Florida.
Instead, Hurricane Rafael will head toward the US Gulf Coast, affecting the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana.
FOX 35 forecaster Brooks Garner said Hurricane Rafael could have a similar path to Hurricane Debby or Super Hurricane Helene.
However, he noted, it is still too early to know exactly where this potential system will move, with what intensity or whether it will strengthen into a hurricane.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. This year's hurricane season has seen three storms hit Florida, USA: Debby, Helene and Milton.
