Invest 99L gains strength in open Atlantic

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published September 18, 2026 11:24 AM EDT

The Brief

    • Invest 99L is showing improved organization in the Atlantic, with a 60% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next two days.
    • The system could become a tropical depression later Friday and may earn the name Tropical Storm Fay if winds strengthen.
    • Forecasters say the system sits nearly 3,000 miles from Tampa and poses no threat to Florida or the United States.

FLORIDA - Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center are closely tracking Invest 99L in the Atlantic Ocean, where a newly organized system shows an increasing likelihood of becoming the next named storm.

Atlantic Tropical System Development

Dig deeper:

Invest 99L has shown significant organization, raising its chances for tropical development to 60% over the next two days. Meteorologists report that the system could organize into a tropical depression as early as Friday. If sustained wind speeds reach tropical storm strength, the disturbance will be named Tropical Storm Fay.

Meanwhile, meteorologists have stopped tracking Invest 98L, a separate disturbance monitored earlier in the week that failed to organize.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official updates provided by the National Hurricane Center.

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