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