Forecasters report that an area in the central Caribbean Sea is likely to develop into Tropical Storm Sara, coinciding with an expected cold front arriving in Florida mid-week.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated that the tropical wave, currently producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm within the next seven days, and a 40% chance within the next two days.

NHC experts predict that the system will likely develop as it moves slowly westward into the western Caribbean Sea. “Afterward, the disturbance is expected to meander over the western Caribbean Sea through the weekend and begin moving slowly, generally northwestward, by early next week,” they added.

Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, mentioned in a Facebook post, “Sara will likely develop by this weekend. There is surprisingly good model agreement this far out. If it stays in the Caribbean instead of heading towards Central America, it could become a hurricane.”

Though the storm’s exact path remains uncertain, Phillips noted that if it were to affect Florida, it would be midweek next week.

Simultaneously, temperatures are expected to drop as a cold front moves in on Friday. Cooler and drier air is anticipated for parts of the state by the weekend.

Saturday and Sunday are expected to be sunny with highs dipping into the 70s in Central Florida, according to Fox 35. Overnight lows in the region could drop into the 50s, with temperatures in the 40s from Gainesville north, as per the National Weather Service.

The Tampa Bay area might see overnight lows around 58 degrees on Friday, 57 on Saturday, and approximately 59 on Sunday.

South Florida could also experience morning temperatures in the upper 60s, according to NBC Miami.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X
(Image credit: The Weather Channel)