Many meteorologists have used the phrase "rain without a name" over the years, to describe heavy rain from a tropical weather system that isn't officially named.
For some Floridians, this has happened twice already this summer. And that's just what may happen with Invest 99, the disturbance the National Hurricane Center is monitoring over the southern Gulf of Mexico.
Regardless of tropical development, heavy rain and a few strong thunderstorms will likely spread across a large portion of the peninsula Monday and Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center is watching the Gulf of Mexico closely for possible tropical development. Hurricane hunter planes are scheduled to fly this afternoon into the system that already is affecting weather across most of the state.
Forecast data hasn't been very helpful in recent days to make a credible call on whether the system becomes tropical or not. Nearly all of the reliable forecast models points to a weak area of low pressure that will move toward the Florida panhandle late Monday.
The National Hurricane Center and local National Weather Service offices are emphasizing there will be a heavy rain risk Monday and Tuesday across the panhandle and parts of west Florida.
There's even the low chance an isolated tornado may develop in some of the rain squalls. In the panhandle, the rainfall is good news, as much of this region has been abnormally dry. Rainfall of two to four inches will be possible through Wednesday near the Nature Coast and Big Bend regions, near and just east of the track of the low.
In the Tampa Bay area, however, a recent rainfall surplus makes the extra water unwelcome. Locally heavy downpours are possible statewide through midweek, as tropical moisture feeds in to the system until is passes Wednesday.
