Tropical Storm Could form in Gulf of Mexico Wednesday or Thursday

It is looking increasingly likely that a tropical storm could form in the Gulf of Mexico.

The area of low pressure currently over the eastern Florida Panhandle is producing disorganized shower activity.

The low is forecast to move southward to southwestward and emerge over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico later today.

Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for tropical cyclone formation, and a tropical depression is likely to develop by late Wednesday or Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center says that there is an 80 percent chance of formation over the next five days.

The next named storm will be Barry.

Whether or not a tropical cyclone forms, this system has the potential to produce heavy rainfall along portions of the northern and eastern U.S. Gulf Coast later this week.