Potential Tropical Cyclone One moves across state, soaks South Florida
TAMPA, Fla. - Potential Tropical Cyclone One had a high chance of developing into something stronger as it rolled off the coast of Mexico but it did not materialize into a named system by Saturday morning as it bared down on South Florida with flooding rain.
FOX 13 Meteorologist Tony Sadiku says even though the system had near tropical-storm-force winds, it never had a good, closed, low-level center. It had a tough time trying to form as it battled upper-level wind shear and dry air.
Tropical storm warnings were discontinued for Florida’s West Coast, north of Bonita Beach as of 8 a.m. Saturday and by the afternoon it was out in the Atlantic.
FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg said the tropical system dumped between 8-10 inches of rain in South Florida. Several Miami streets were flooded and authorities were towing abandoned vehicles.
PREVIOUS: Potential Tropical Cyclone One timing, impact: Heavy rain expected around Tampa Bay starting Friday
Osterberg says the system will likely start to organize now that it is over the Atlantic. He says there is a lot of dry air in the Gulf of Mexico and a lot of wind shear which never allowed the system to get a low-level center, but the potential is there over the next day or two.
STAY CONNECTED: Download the free FOX 13 News app for Live SkyTower Radar, forecast videos, and more weather coverage
If the system does form it will be named Alex, but it should not impact any land area. Osterbeg says even if the winds reach 45 miles an hour, if it doesn’t have a center, it will not be named.
LINK: Track the tropics on MyFOXHurricane.com