TAMPA, Fla. – FOX 13 meteorologists are tracking two areas of interest in the tropics Monday, including a disturbance in the northern Gulf and the remnants of former Tropical Storm Dolly near Puerto Rico.
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While neither system currently poses a significant threat to the Bay Area, forecasters are watching both for signs of development as they move over the coming days.
Invest 97L in GulfÂ
What we know:
Invest 97L appears to be becoming better organized in the northern Gulf.
The system could potentially strengthen into a tropical depression or a short-lived tropical storm before moving inland near the Texas-Louisiana border Tuesday.
Regardless of whether it develops into a named storm, the system is expected to bring beneficial rainfall to parts of the region dealing with drought conditions.
Dolly remnants moving toward Florida
Dig deeper:
The remnants of former Tropical Storm Dolly are near Puerto Rico and are expected to continue moving west-northwest toward Florida.
Dolly weakened after encountering significant wind shear across the Caribbean and Atlantic. Wind shear, or a change in wind speed and direction with height, can disrupt the circulation of tropical systems and prevent them from strengthening.
Wind shear is currently much lower over the Gulf, giving the remnants a slight chance of redevelopment as they move west.
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However, many computer models keep the system as an open tropical wave rather than showing it developing into a tropical cyclone.
Florida rainfall impact
Why you should care:
Even without development, the system could transport additional tropical moisture into Florida and bring much-needed rainfall to drought-stricken areas.
Forecasters will continue monitoring both systems closely in the coming days.
If they remain weak and follow the expected paths, both disturbances could provide beneficial rainfall to parts of Florida and the Deep South.
Forecast updates
What you can do:
However, tropical systems can change quickly, so residents should continue to monitor the latest forecasts as the systems move west.
Neither system currently poses a direct threat to the Bay Area, but conditions could change as the remnants of Dolly approach the Gulf.
Read more Watching 2 areas of development in Gulf, Caribbean
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