Invest 97L forms, Florida to Louisiana braces for possible tropical storm or Hurricane Helene

Tampa weather: Sunday evening forecast

FOX 13 News Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto says some isolated showers may pop up overnight. Dellegatto is also monitoring the tropics as chances for a tropical storm or hurricane to form in the Gulf of Mexico increase.

TAMPA, Fla. - Invest 97L is likely to form into a tropical storm or hurricane by the end of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The chance of development for Invest 97L has been steadily increasing, and the NHC says there is a high chance of tropical development from the northwestern Caribbean Sea to the southern and eastern Gulf of Mexico over the next seven days.

"But it looks like right now the most likely scenario would be something across the eastern Gulf of Mexico. So that obviously poses an issue for us here on the west coast of Florida," explained FOX 13 News Meteorologist Jim Weber.

It has a 40% chance of developing over the next two days and 80% chance of developing over the next seven days.

On Thursday or Thursday night, the storm, whether it's a tropical storm or Hurricane Helene, could make landfall somewhere between Louisiana and Florida.

The NHC is also monitoring a tropical wave near the west coast of Africa that is expected to move westward during the next several days.

Environmental conditions could support some gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form during the middle to latter part of the week while the wave moves westward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic, according to the NHC.

The wave has a 50% chance of formation over the next seven days.

FOXWeather.com contributed to this story.

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