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The likelihood of Storm Nadine becoming a hurricane has just increased as Florida prepares


The likelihood of Storm Nadine becoming a hurricane has just increased as Florida prepares

Florida could experience another hurricane next week as Tropical Storm Nadine moves through the Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) released an update at 8 a.m. ET Monday that showed the storm had a 50 percent chance of becoming a hurricane, but increased the chance to 60 percent at 2 p.m. ET.

Meteorologists said Nadine's path is still being monitored and he could reach the Sunshine State within the next 10 days or take a different route to Mexico and Central America.

This came just days after Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the Southeast coast, bringing torrential flooding and tornadoes from Florida to North Carolina.

The likelihood of Storm Nadine becoming a hurricane has just increased as Florida prepares

A tropical depression is heading toward Florida and could strengthen into a hurricane in the coming days

“The system is forecast to move generally westward toward warmer waters, and environmental conditions may become more favorable for gradual development by mid to late this week,” the NHC said in the update at 2 p.m. ET.

The tropical depression is currently several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, but could gradually strengthen into a hurricane as it reaches warmer waters near Florida.

NHC previously classified the storm, officially known as Invest 94L, as a disturbance but has since upgraded it to a tropical depression after its surface winds reached speeds of 38 miles per hour, causing hurricanes in the Atlantic.

As it approaches warmer waters, a low pressure system brings devastating rains and thunderstorms that can cause severe flooding and develop into a hurricane with winds of 74 miles per hour.

It's unclear whether the tropical storm will finally develop into a hurricane and when, but meteorologists continue to monitor it as it approaches the coast.

The NCH also said the storm had a 10 percent chance of becoming a hurricane within the next 48 hours.

AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva told DailyMail.com that the storm will need to be monitored over the next few days but is unlikely to reach hurricane status.

If the storm moves across the Virgin Islands, the mountains could disrupt its growth.

He added that “the likelihood of a direct impact on the U.S. is low because there is wind shear that could protect us.”

Wind shear is strong high-altitude winds that can strip heat and moisture from the eye of a hurricane, distorting its shape and effectively tearing it apart.

If the storm develops into something larger, DaSilva said it probably won't hit until Oct. 17-18, and until then it won't be known which path the storm will take.

“I don’t think it would hit us at all,” he said, adding that “it either just gets pushed out to sea or there’s nothing left by the time it gets to the U.S.”

However, the storm is still very far away and if it does hit the states it won't be for another 10 days, “so things are still subject to change,” DaSilva said.

The strength of the storm depends on how long it stays over water, which could cause it to grow and become a hurricane.

“One possibility would take the system west into Central America and southern Mexico, the other unfortunately leads to Florida,” DaSilva said in an AccuWeather report.

As the tropical depression moves toward Central America, it won't have as much time to strengthen, but as its track shifts north toward the Gulf of Mexico, it could provide the climate needed to grow.

“Not only are the waters very warm in this area – reaching depths exceeding 80 degrees Fahrenheit – but the heat content of the western Caribbean oceans is at record levels at all times of the year,” DaSilva said in the report.

The looming storm comes as Florida works to recover from Hurricane Milton, which hit Tampa last week, moving across the state and spawning deadly tornadoes.

At least 17 people died in Florida and while the state is still assessing the financial toll, the damage is estimated to be in the billions.

Milton also came on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which struck the Southeast two weeks earlier, submerging states along the coast.

According to CoreLogic, Helene caused a total damage of $30.5 billion to $47.5 billion in 16 states and claimed the lives of more than 230 people so far, with countless more still reported missing.

This year, there were already an above-average number of hurricanes in mid-October, with four major hurricanes, including Beryl, Helene, Kirk and Milton, hitting the USA.

In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the U.S. would experience an above-average hurricane season, predicting that between four and seven Category 3 or higher hurricanes would strike.

The forecast has so far proven to be true, with values ​​in mid-October exceeding the historical average.

Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th.

DailyMail.com has contacted the National Hurricane Center for comment.

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