Disturbance in east Pacific not expected to threaten South Florida

An area of disturbed weather is brewing south of Mexico in the general vicinity of Hurricane Agatha, which crossed over to the Atlantic Ocean as a low-pressure system, dumped rain on South Florida and then became Tropical Storm Alex, forecasters said.

However, at this point it appears the group of thunderstorms that extends nearly to Central America won’t threaten South Florida or the United States and will remain in the Pacific, the National Hurricane Center said.

The NHC said the axis of the tropical wave is moving west.

“The wave is generating scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms over the SW Caribbean, including the Caribbean plains of Nicaragua, and some shower and thunderstorm activity across the offshore waters of Costa Rica,” the NHC said.

AccuWeather said the disturbance isn’t expected to become a named storm in the short term. And even if it does develop, conditions aren’t optimal in the Atlantic to pose a threat to the United States.

Strong wind shear and pockets of dry air in the Atlantic are expected to curb any tropical activity, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty said.

South Florida remains saturated from the weekend and early-week rains that were part of the low-pressure system that became Tropical Storm Alex. Some areas in Broward County and northeast Miami-Dade County got double-digit rain totals Saturday when the system traveled across Florida.

Eastern Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties remained under a flood watch Friday until at least midnight, and the National Weather Service may extend the watch another day.

Robert Garcia, a National Weather Service Miami meteorologist, said Broward County had been mostly spared from the rain by Friday evening, with less than a half-inch, but some areas in southern Miami-Dade had seen between 2 ½ and 5 inches by the afternoon.

Areas in Palm Beach County saw between 3 and 4 inches, with some streets flooded in northern parts of the county, Garcia said.

Meteorologists are watching a large group of thunderstorms near Alligator Alley that could bring heavy rain to Broward County overnight, Garcia said. Those storms could bring at least a few more inches.

Garcia said after the rains in Hollywood, Dania Beach and parts of Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, the potential for a few more inches Friday “could be problematic.”

Is there an end to the rain in sight?

Garcia said a wave of Saharan dust may approach by Monday, potentially giving the soaked grounds a break from the days of rain. Monday’s chances of rain at 20 to 30% are much lower than they’ve been over the last week.

“A few days to drain could be helpful, especially for some of the waterlogged areas in southeast Florida,” he said.

The NHC said no tropical activity is expected in the Atlantic for the next five days.