The NBC2 First Alert Hurricane Team is monitoring the movement of Potential Tropical Cyclone 15 in the western Caribbean Sea.
As of 5 p.m. Friday the National Hurricane Center says PTC15 is generating winds of 35 mph as it drifts toward the west-northwest at 7 mph.
The term Potential Tropical Cyclone refers to a system that isn't currently organized enough to be considered a tropical depression or tropical storm but is forecast to impact areas of land with depression or storm-force conditions within the next 48 hours.
Because of the system's forward motion, tropical storm watches have been issued for parts of Belize and Mexico.
The current forecast calls for PTC15 to strengthen into Tropical Storm Nadine at some point early tomorrow before moving onshore by 2 p.m. Saturday.
Thankfully for Florida, a strong ridge of high pressure over the central U.S. will keep the system moving west and well south of our state.
Elsewhere in the tropics, what once looked to be a healthy tropical wave north of Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles is now a struggling disturbance with much lower odds to develop into a tropical system.
The National Hurricane Center gives the disturbance a 10% chance to develop in the next 7 days, a steep drop from earlier in the week.
The good news is regardless of development, the system is not a threat to Florida or the U.S. mainland as wind shear and steering currents will keep the system away from our area.
Count on the NBC2 First Alert Hurricane Team to keep you updated on the tropics through the end of the hurricane season, which runs through the end of November.
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