A tropical disturbance building in the Caribbean Sea has been designated as Potential Tropical Hurricane 19 by the National Hurricane Center and is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm known as Tropical Storm Sara within the next few days.

As of 4 p.m., PTC 19, formerly known as Invest 99L, was located 760 kilometers east of Isla Guanaja in Honduras and 490 kilometers east-northeast of Cabo Gracias A Dios near the Honduras-Nicaragua border, the NHC said. Maximum sustained winds are 30 mph; The tropical storm is about 9 mph away from strengthening.

The NHC said it is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara and reach near hurricane strength as it approaches Central America this week, and could maintain that strength as it passes near Mexico early next week.

The PTC definition allows the NHC to run more computer models, including reporting the so-called cone.

Is a tropical storm headed for Florida?

It’s too early to tell how the system will affect Florida, the Florida Keys and the eastern Gulf of Mexico, including Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Computer models show several paths, including reaching North Florida, Central Florida and South Florida, but it’s too early to know for sure. We must know more every day.

Here are two current scenarios for Florida’s impact:

Scenario 1: The storm between Cancun and Cuba will potentially develop into a major offshore hurricane and impact Florida early next week as a strong system.

Scenario 2: The storm passes over Nicaragua and Honduras before moving toward Belize, eventually reaching the Gulf and possibly heading toward Florida. This piece will likely result in a weaker system.

When will we learn?

We will learn more throughout the week as the National Hurricane Center continues to monitor this potential system and provide updates on its development.

When does hurricane season end?

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30, 2024. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. In rare cases, it is possible for storms to occur outside these windows.

How many tropical storms and hurricanes have we had this year?

If Sara forms, it would be the 18th storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

We’ve had 11 hurricanes and six tropical storms so far this year; a total of 17 of these were named storms.

Hurricanes: Beryl, Debby, Ernesto, Francine, Helene, Isaac, Kirk, Leslie, Milton, Oscar, Rafael.

Tropical storms: Alberto, Chris, Gordon, Joyce, Nadine and Patty.

Three hurricanes hit Florida: Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton.

In November, only three hurricanes have hit Florida in the last 173 years of records. These were the unnamed storm in 1935, Hurricane Kate in 1985, and Hurricane Nicole in 2022.

Which names are left on the list?

Each hurricane season, which occurs every six years, is given 21 names. Names may be retired if they are highly destructive or deadly.

If all 21 names are used in a season, an additional list of storm names is available. The top five on this list are: Adria, Braylen, Caridad, Deshawn, and Emery.

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