Thunderstorm activity just off Florida's east coast has a good chance of becoming this season's first tropical cyclone, and could trigger a warning for the state's central or northern Atlantic coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The NHC pegs the system's chances of developing into a tropical cyclone over the next two days at 80%.
"Environmental conditions are becoming more conducive for development, and only a slight increase in organization would result in the formation of a tropical depression," the NHC says.
The system is currently about 125 miles east of Melbourne, Fla., and is moving southwestward at about five miles per hour. The NHC says it is expected to turn westward tonight and northward by Wednesday near the east Florida coast. "If this system becomes a tropical cyclone, a tropical storm watch could be required for portions of the central or northern Atlantic coast of Florida," says the NHC.
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