Hurricane center eyes potential system to form near Florida

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Jul 12, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Saturday began forecasting a system to form later this week near Florida with a chance to develop into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

In its 8 p.m. tropical outlook, the NHC said it expects a broad area of low pressure to over the next couple of days near the southeastern U.S. coast and then move westward across Florida into the northeastern Gulf by Tuesday

“Environmental conditions could support some gradual development of this system during the middle to late part of next week while it moves westward over the northeastern and north-central portions of the Gulf,” forecasters said.

Regardless of whether it develops, the NHC said heavy rainfall is possible over portions of Florida and north-central Gulf Coast through mid- to late next week.

The NHC gave it a 20% chance to develop in the next seven days.

If it were to spin up into a named storm, it could become Tropical Storm Dexter.

The state was previously doused by rains associated with what developed into Tropical Storm Chantal earlier this month. That storm ended up striking the Carolina coast and dumped flooding rains inland.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had before the start of hurricane season forecast an expected 13 to 19 named storms for the year, of which six to 10 would grow into hurricanes. Three to five of those would develop into major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher.

Researchers out of Colorado State University this week, though, updated their forecast saying they expect the season to be slightly less busy than what they had predicted earlier this year.

Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30.