Another major tropical storm threatens Florida in late season | Florida

Florida is at risk of being hit by another major tropical storm just weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated cities across the state.

Meteorologists are currently tracking a new disturbance that is expected to develop into a storm in the Caribbean Sea. The storm, named Sara, will form in the western Caribbean later this week and could turn toward South Florida as a strong hurricane next week as wind patterns change, according to the Hurricane Tracker app.

“There will be a wind shear zone north of the Caribbean that will initially tend to prevent the northward movement of any nascent structures in the Caribbean,” AccuWeather wrote in an update.

“However, the natural blocking mechanism could dissipate by the third week of the month, allowing any tropical storm to move northward. In this case, interests in South Florida and the Keys may need to remain vigilant.”

The most recent storm, Rafael, dissipated on Sunday after hitting Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane on November 3. Rafael regained strength after entering the Gulf of Mexico, where in November it became the strongest hurricane since hurricane tracking records began in 1851.

Hurricane season is expected to officially end on the last day of November, with storms generally expected to taper off and weaken towards the end of the month. But as storms become more unpredictable as a result of the climate crisis, hurricane season could be extended.

“Should the feature become a hurricane, it would be the 12th of the season, a testament to the loaded nature of the season, where the historical average is seven hurricanes,” said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s chief hurricane expert.

AccuWeather forecasters say warmer ocean temperatures could lead to tropical storms later this December, with Florida and the East Coast most likely to be affected.