HOT THURSDAY AFTERNOON UPCOMING; TROPICAL UPDATE… Some of the warmest temperatures of the year so far are slated to happen this afternoon across south Alabama and northwest Florida. High temperatures will reach the mid-90s in some spots across the region. Plenty of sunshine is expected today ahead of increasing rain chances this weekend. Showers and thunderstorms will bubble up in the afternoon and evening hours starting again on Friday.
NOTE ABOUT THE TROPICS… I’ve seen out-of-control rumors flying (frankly, from people on social media that are NOT meteorologists) about a potential for a hurricane “hitting New Orleans,” “coming straight up Mobile Bay,” etc. Again, the social media hype train this hurricane season is rolling forward full throttle. Don’t get on that train! Here are the facts…
1) The Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean remain quiet, in terms of tropical trouble. No tropical storm formation is expected over the next 3-4 days.
2) There are a few models indicating that a tropical system could develop in the western Caribbean Sea about one week for right now. There is very little in the way of model consistency as to IF this system will develop (or not). There is NO consistency showing where this system might end up that far out.
3) If warranted, and that’s still a big IF at this point, I’ll have a more detailed update on the tropics later tonight. For now, the main headlines are: There are no active tropical systems in the Atlantic basin (Tropical Storm Aletta is happening in the eastern Pacific and moving away from land). There is very little in the way of model consistency to support the idea of a tropical system next week. It’s hurricane season, meaning we must be diligent in being prepared in advance regardless of if there is an active threat of a tropical storm/hurricane or not.
See all the details about our hot day ahead in your Thursday #rzw forecast video available here…