NU Online News Service, Sept. 23, 1:15 p.m. EDT

A tropical cyclone could develop over the next 48 hours in theGulf of Mexico, while Tropical Depression Lisa continues to meanderin the Atlantic and could dissipate by Monday.

The National Weather Service said there is an 80 percent chancethat a system over the south-central Caribbean Sea could developinto a tropical depression over the next 48 hours. The system,located off the coast of Venezuela, is moving Westward at 15mph.

If this were to turn into a tropical depression and a namedstorm, the next name on the list is Matthew and would be the 13thnamed storm of the year.

The region was just rocked by Hurricane Karl that catastrophe modeler AIR Worldwide saidcould cost insurers $100 to $200 million. The storm struck Mexicotwice last week, and the economic damage is expected to besignificant. However, insurance penetrtion is very low, AIRnoted.

The cities rocked by the storm were Boca del Rio, Cotaxtla,Carranza, Jamapa, Medellin and Oaxaca.

An afternoon update from the National Weather Service upgradedthe system to a tropical depression. Watches and warnings wereissued for portions of Central America. The five day track has thestorm striking the coast of Belize by Monday as a hurricane, thentaking a northern path into the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical depression Lisa is causing locally heavy rain over theCape Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph.

The National Weather Service said the storm is driftingeastward. The five day track shows the storm beginning to dissipateby Tuesday.

Updated at 2:25 p.m. EDT