SCATTERED STORMS AROUND THIS WEEKEND… Keep tabs on the radar today and into the weekend as scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will be likely each day. Fortunately, widespread severe weather is NOT expected this weekend, although some of the thunderstorms may be strong at times with loud thunder and heavy rain being possible. Heavy rain won’t last all day in every locale across the region this weekend, but there may be multiple hours of rain in many spots. High temperatures today and on Saturday will be in the upper-80s. We continue to monitor multiple hotspots in the tropics, but fortunately, none of these systems are expected to ever directly affect south Alabama or northwest Florida.
TROPICAL DISTURBANCE IN WESTERN GULF… Increased rain chances are ahead over the next several hours in parts of East Texas where a tropical disturbance has been “camping out” over the last few days. This tropical disturbance in situated inland at this point and further development is not expected.
PTC#2/BONNIE TO CROSS CENTRAL AMERICA THIS WEEKEND… Potential Tropical Cyclone #2 has kept that designation far longer than anyone expected. The system is expected to officially become Tropical Storm Bonnie today before landfall tonight into Saturday in Nicaragua or the northern part of Costa Rica. A Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning remain in effect for the Caribbean coast of these two nations. In addition, a separate Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Pacific side of Nicaragua and Costa Rica as PTC#2/Bonnie is expected to cross Central America and remain intact while emerging into the Eastern Pacific Basin. If that happens as forecast, the system will retain the name “Bonnie” as it moves across the Eastern Pacific Ocean next week.
SEPARATE TROPICAL WAVE UNLIKELY TO DEVELOP… The tropical wave moving across the Atlantic Ocean well east of PTC#2/Bonnie is moving into an environment where further development seems rather unlikely. From NHC: “A tropical wave located several hundred miles east of the Windward Islands is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Any development of this system should be slow to occur while the wave moves west-northwestward during the next day or two. The wave is forecast to move over the Windward Islands on Friday and then over the eastern Caribbean Sea by the weekend, where further development is unlikely due to unfavorable environmental conditions.”
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See all the details in your Friday morning #rzw forecast video. Have a great day!