Tropical Storm Arlene has formed west of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a 2 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
The tropical storm, the second storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, continues to move south at 5 mph.
Arlene isn’t expected to remain a tropical storm for long.
The Hurricane Center predicted it will weaken later tonight, becoming a remnant low Saturday as it runs into wind shear and dry air.
At 11 a.m., the Hurricane Center warned that while it is unlikely, the possibility of “a short-lived increase to tropical storm intensity cannot be ruled out.”
Florida residents could see 1 to 2 inches of rain, with up to 5 inches possible in some locations, through Saturday, although forecasters said the rain is not directly related to the depression.
While the first named storm of the 2023 season is Arlene, it will actually be the second storm of the season. A system in January was classified in May as a subtropical storm. Since the classification came during a post analysis, it did not get a name and will be documented as “Unnamed.”
Weakening is expected to begin later tonight, and the system is forecast to become a remnant low Saturday, according to the 2 p.m. advisory.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles northeast of the center.
- Location: 265 miles west of Fort Myers; 230 miles west of Sarasota
- Maximum wind speed: 40 mph
- Direction: south at 5 mph