In a hurry? Here's what's happening with Francine - in less than a minute.
The National Hurricane Center is keeping busy this morning, tracking two tropical depressions, one invest and a system of low pressure off the coast of Florida.
Francine made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 2 storm in Terrebonne Parish in Louisiana with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph.
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Elsewhere in the Atlantic basin, forecasters are tracking:
- A system of low pressure off the coast of Florida that currently has a low chance for development. Chances for some subtropical or tropical development are expected to improve next week.
- One invest in the Atlantic Ocean that currently has a 30% chance for development.
- And, in the far eastern Atlantic, Tropical Depression 7 formed Wednesday and could become Tropical Storm Gordon later today.
➤ Spaghetti models for Tropical Depression 7
Here's the latest update from the NHC as of 2 p.m. EDT Sept. 12:
Where is Tropical Depression Francine?
The National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory on Francine at 11 a.m. EDT.
On the forecast track, the center of Francine will move over central and northern portions of Mississippi this afternoon and tonight and move into northeastern Arkansas by Friday.
Francine is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later today or tonight.
As Tropical Depression Francine is moving over central Mississippi, coastal flooding of up to 2 to 3 feet and tropical-storm-force winds are expected early this morning, according to the National Weather Service Mobile.
➤ Spaghetti models for Francine
➤ Excessive rainfall forecast
A few tornadoes are possible today, mainly in the morning and afternoon from the Florida Panhandle to north-central Alabama.
Francine is expected to bring storm total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches across portions of the Florida Panhandle. Localized amounts up to 10 inches are possible within rain bands over the area.
Conditions are expected to improve by noon.
Some minor flooding and ponding of water on roadways will likely occur through the morning hours, especially across the western Florida Panhandle and south central Alabama, NWS said.
Tropical Depression 7 could become Tropical Storm Gordon today
- Location : 710 miles west-northwest of Cabo Verde Islands
- Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph
- Movement : west-northwest at 17 mph
- Pressure : 1007 mb
What you should know about Tropical Depression 7
At 11 a.m., the center of Tropical Depression Seven was located near latitude 17.8 North, longitude 34.6 West.
The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph, and a west-northwest to west motion at a slower forward speed is anticipated over the next few days.
Tropical Depression 7 impacts: Will Florida feel impacts from Tropical Depression 7, 'tropical rainstorm' soon? What to know
Maximum sustained winds remain near 35 mph, with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression could become a tropical storm later today or tonight.
Gradual strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression could become a tropical storm later today.
Spaghetti models for Tropical Depression 7
Special note about spaghetti models: Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
What else is out there and how likely are they to strengthen?
Offshore the Southeastern U.S. over the western Atlantic: A non-tropical area of low pressure could form along a residual frontal boundary a few hundred miles off the southeastern U.S. coastline this weekend.
Thereafter, some subtropical or tropical development is possible during the early part of next week while the system drifts to the north or northwest.
- Formation chance through 48 hours: low, near 0 percent.
- Formation chance through 7 days: low, 30 percent.
Invest 94L, east of the Leeward Islands: Showers and thunderstorms continue to show signs of organization in association with a small area of low pressure located a few hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands.
However, the proximity of dry air near the system could limit additional development over the next couple of days. Environmental conditions are expected to become even less conducive over the weekend while the system moves slowly west-northwestward.
Regardless of development, this system could produce locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds across the northern Leeward Islands on Friday.
- Formation chance through 48 hours: low, 30 percent.
- Formation chance through 7 days: low, 30 percent.
What do the colored areas on the NOAA map mean?
The hatched areas on a tropical outlook map indicate "areas where a tropical cyclone — which could be a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane — could develop," said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.
The colors make it visibly clear how likely a system could develop with yellow being low, orange medium and red high.
The National Hurricane Center generally doesn't issue tropical advisories until there is a named storm, but there is an exception.
"If a system is near land and there is potential for development, the National Hurricane Center won't wait before it issues advisories, even if the system hasn't become an actual storm. This gives residents time to prepare," Rhome said.
What is an invest?
Short for investigation, the National Hurricane Center uses the term invest for areas of low pressure it is monitoring for potential development into a tropical depression or storm.
Invests are not tropical depressions or tropical storms. They're usually clusters of showers and thunderstorms, and just because they've been designated as an invest does not guarantee they'll develop into a tropical cyclone.
Invests run from 90 to 99, followed by a letter: L for the Atlantic basin and E for those in the eastern Pacific. After 99, it starts over again and the next invest would be 90.
Once something has been designated as an invest, specialized data sets and computer models can begin, including scheduling Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions and the running spaghetti models.
Who is likely to be impacted?
Impacts from Tropical Depression Francine include a threat for tornadoes, heavy rain and gusty winds across portions of the Panhandle today.
The system of low pressure off the southeastern coast is not expected to directly impact Florida , but some increased wave action and rough surf and rip currents are possible, especially in North Florida early next week. Regardless of development, the Carolinas could see coastal erosion and flooding, significant rainfall and gusty winds.
Tropical Depression Seven is expected to remain in the Atlantic and pose no threat to land.
It's too early at this time to determine if there will be any impact to Florida or the U.S. from the tropical disturbance east of the Leeward Islands.
Forecasters urge all residents to continue monitoring the tropics and to always be prepared. That advice is particularly important for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
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When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
National Hurricane Center map: What are forecasters watching now?
Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include:
Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city
Excessive rainfall forecast
What's next?
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: National Hurricane Center tracking 2 depressions, 1 invest, system off Florida. What to know
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