Wet weekend ahead as tropical depression forms off Florida

TAMPA, Fla. - From the Gulf to the African coast, forecasters are watching several areas for possible tropical development. But Florida is in for a wet weekend no matter what.

Florida is sandwiched between two areas of interest to the National Hurricane Center. The first, in the Gulf of Mexico, has a low chance of development and is moving west, away from the state.

The second is an area of low pressure over the northwestern Bahamas that had strengthened into a tropical depression with winds of 35 mph Friday evening. Winds won't be much of an issue, forecasters say, but it will soak the state as it slowly moves west over the weekend.

“It’s damp, it’s soupy, the atmosphere is full of moisture,” FOX 13 meteorologist Dave Osterberg explained. “This comes through on Saturday and takes an already moist atmosphere and puts more moisture in it. There’s nowhere for that water to go, except for down to the ground.”

Tropical storm watches were posted for the state's southeast coast.

A flood watch is up for the entire Bay Area, where the ground is already saturated after days of heavy afternoon downpours.

"We're going to have some issues at times with some localized flooding," FOX 13 meteorologist Tyler Eliasen warned. "Tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening get active and then Sunday is almost an all-day kind of thing."

The next name on the NHC's 2020 list is “Sally.”

Further out, tropical storms Paulette and Rene continue to spin in the Atlantic. Paulette is expected to brush the Bahamas as a hurricane on Monday before turning back out to sea. Its only affect on the U.S. may be higher surf and rip currents along the East Coast.

Tropical Storm Rene is expected to continue weakening as it curves through the central Atlantic.

Off the African coast, a tropical wave is expected to become a tropical depression as it moves west. Long-range models suggest it will continue to strengthen as it treks across the Atlantic, but it’s too early to say what, if any, impact it will have on the U.S.

“That’s the one we’re going to have to watch,” Osterberg noted.

Yet another wave is coming off the coast of Africa behind that. The NHC says it has a 40-percent chance of development over the next few days.