National Hurricane Center is monitoring a new area of interest between the Caribbean and Africa

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - An area of disorganized rain and thunderstorms situated between the Caribbean and Africa has caught the attention of forecasters. The National Hurricane Center gave a small bump in development odds to an area of interest now known as “Invest 96L.” As of Tuesday evening, the agency listed this tropical wave with a medium, 40% chance to become at least a tropical depression through Sunday.

Now that it has been given an investigation number -- 96L -- tropical forecast models have been turned on for this disorganized rainmaker going forward. The consensus Tuesday was for it to slowly move west toward the islands on the north side of the Caribbean. Development or not, the slow movement of this system is expected to bring heavy, likely flooding, rain to portions of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba, and maybe even Florida this weekend through early next week.

While high pressure over the Eastern United States is expected to keep 96L away from the Lower 48 for much of the upcoming week, a pattern change could push drier air and more hostile upper-level winds into the path of this system late next week. Both of these would hinder development in the extended forecast, which is why the concerns remain low that this time. There is high confidence in a near-term westward drift through the weekend. Beyond that, the uncertainty is high and it cannot be said if, when, where, or how this could turn into a defined tropical system. There are no current indications this would be a concern for the Gulf or Texas coast. Regardless, this is a weather system to keep tabs on occasionally into the upcoming week.

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Should 96L manage to develop into a tropical storm, it would gain the name Fiona. Complete details as we know them Tuesday evening are included in the video above.

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