It's mid-August and that marks the beginning of the "peak" of hurricane season in south Florida. We normally see the most activity between mid-August and mid-October, with the general peak considered to be September 10.
Related: Get prepared with the Hurricane Survival Guide | Download the Storm Shield Severe Weather app
With that being said, all eyes are on the latest tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa. As of 1:45 p.m. Tuesday the National Hurricane Center is giving this disturbance an 80% chance of forming within 48 hours and a 90 percent chance of formation within the next 5 days. So there's a high chance this could become our next named storm, Fiona.
While this will likely be our next named storm it is highly unlikely that it will have any effect on south Florida. The main forecasting models are in agreement that this storm will stay well out in the ocean. It's forecast to move west northwest and then northwest into the open waters of the Atlantic, keeping it well away from our area.
This is the time when activity begins to ramp up so we'll be seeing an increase in tropical waves coming off the coast of Africa and of course you can count on Storm Team 5 to keep you updated.
Now is a great time to go over your hurricane preparedness plan and make sure you're prepared for the next storm that does impact south Florida.