Florida Watches Uncertain Tropical System as Hurricane Season Heats Up

The quiet first half of the 2025 hurricane season is giving way to a flurry of activity, and Florida may be in the path of a developing storm.

An easterly wave near Puerto Rico, labeled Invest 94L, remains disorganized but has an 80% chance of forming into a depression or tropical storm as it moves closer to the Bahamas this weekend. While most forecast models suggest a cold front and jet stream dip will likely push the system north before reaching Florida, uncertainty remains.

Complicating matters, Tropical Storm Humberto formed to the east and is expected to bypass the Caribbean and head into the open Atlantic. There is also the chance that Humberto and Invest 94L could interact through the rare Fujiwara effect, where two storms orbit around each other, impacting strength and direction.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Gabrielle—which reached Category 4 earlier this week—is threatening the Azores, prompting their first hurricane warning in six years. The storm could eventually impact Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, even if it weakens or loses tropical characteristics.

Despite this sudden activity, the season is still behind average: only seven named storms so far compared to the usual ten by late September. With peak hurricane season extending through October, forecasters stress vigilance.

The bottom line: Florida isn’t under immediate threat, but the storm’s path will become clearer this weekend. For now, residents should keep watch as hurricane season enters its most dangerous stretch.