Weakening storm may bring rainfall to Central Florida

The calendar says we’re still smack dab in the middle of hurricane season, but Central Floridians may be able to breathe a little easier this weekend now that the tropical wave that threatened the state continues to stay to the south and move west.

Residual rain is likely to affect Central Florida next week, but the National Hurricane Center said in its Friday afternoon advisory that there’s just a 60 percent chance that the system will be able to form into an organized storm in the next five days. The outlook said conditions could be “a little more conducive for development early next week” as the storm got back into the Gulf of Mexico.

Fred Johnson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Melbourne, said the key in Central Florida is for everyone to just keep watching the tropical wave next week.

“For now, we are not expecting any development for the next 48 hours,” he said Friday. “But we’re going to see an increase in rain chances next week.”

Johnson predicted 1 to 3 inches of rain for the region, with the potential of 4 inches in some areas, “but it’s going to depend on how it develops.”

Although this storm seems to be fizzling out, emergency responders still recommend that Floridians have plans in place.

A hurricane hasn’t hit Florida since 2005, so officials want to remind people who might have become complacent that it’s best to prepare ahead of time.

For a full to-do list, check out the Orlando Sentinel hurricane guide at OrlandoSentinel.com.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gaston is still churning out in the Atlantic Ocean, headed away from land, but it may strengthen back into a hurricane by sometime today, forecasters said.