Tropical wave aimed at Florida losing steam

A tropical wave rolling toward South Florida began to show signs of weakening Friday evening as it encountered stronger wind shear, National Hurricane Center forecasters said.

In their 8 p.m. advisory, forecasters said the wave, located about 500 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, had become less organized as it encountered upper winds that can shred hurricanes. Over the last day, forecasters had worried that the storm tracking toward the Bahamas might become a tropical cyclone. But Friday evening, they dropped the odds to 50 percent. Earlier in the day, they’d given the storm a high, 70 percent chance of forming.

As the storm continues heading west at 20 mph, they say conditions make the likelihood of a cyclone even less likely.

A separate wave is still expected to dump heavy rain on South Florida over the weekend, National Weather Service meteorologists said. The hardest rain is expected Saturday, they said.

Tropical Storm Harvey, which at 5 p.m. was located about 130 miles southwest of St. Lucia and racing west at 21 mph, is expected to travel west through the Caribbean Sea this weekend and near the coast of Central America on Monday. Over the next two days, as it encounters weaker upper level winds, the storm is expected to slowly become more powerful. After that, they’re less certain.

Harvey could dump between one and two inches of rain over the Windward Islands, with higher amounts possible that could trigger dangerous flooding and mudslides.

Forecasters are also watching a third tropical disturbance in the far eastern Atlantic, several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, which could develop as it encounters favorable conditions early next week. Forecasters put formation chances for the storm, which is moving northwest at about 20 miles an hour, at about 30 percent in the next five days.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Tropical wave aimed at Florida losing steam."