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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Chances that Tropical Storm Dexter will form within the next 48 hours have quadrupled since a forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on Monday.
As the storm takes shape, Florida can expect heavy rainfall. Even if the storm doesn't form, the heavy rain will move across the Sunshine State and into the Gulf, where it will impact coastal states later this week.
As of Tuesday around noon Eastern time, AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva told Newsweek the storm was moving inland and bringing "really, really heavy rain."
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Why It Matters
The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1. The last storm to form was Tropical Storm Chantal earlier this month.
NHC meteorologists are currently monitoring a low-pressure system east of Florida that has a 40 percent chance of becoming tropical within the next 48 hours. Should it form, the storm will be named Dexter.
The development comes as meteorologists predicted an above-average hurricane season this year for the Atlantic.
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What To Know
On Monday, the NHC said there was a 10 percent chance the storm would form within the next two days. By that afternoon, the chance had increased to 20 percent.
By Tuesday morning, the chances increased again to 40 percent. The NHC cautioned that even if it doesn't form, Florida can expect some impact, such as heavy rain and flash floods.
Weather Radar
Animated weather maps from windy.com showed a cluster of storms in Florida near the state's Atlantic coast.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the storms have not yet organized into a tropical system. DaSilva told Newsweek he doubts the storm will strengthen while it moves over land.
Wind
Despite the lack of organization, some strong winds are still expected with the storms. Sustained winds of around 25 mph were recorded in the Atlantic Ocean to the east of Florida. Winds were gusting around 36 mph.
A tropical storm has sustained winds between 39 and 73 mph. A tropical storm becomes a Category 1 hurricane once sustained winds hit 74 mph.
Rain
Meteorologists warned that the biggest impact from the storm will be heavy rain. Over the next three days, windy.com forecasts that Central Florida could receive around 2 inches of rain.
The highest rainfall amounts will be coastal Louisiana, which could receive up to 4 inches.
What People Are Saying
The NHC, in a forecast: "This system is forecast to move westward across the Florida Peninsula today and then reach the northeastern Gulf by Wednesday. Environmental conditions appear generally favorable for additional development, and a tropical depression could form while the system moves across the northeastern and north-central Gulf."
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva, in an AccuWeather report: "Heavy downpours are expected to continue across much of the Florida Peninsula through Tuesday night. Thunderstorms, infused with tropical moisture, could produce more than 4 inches of rain."
What Happens Next
Heavy rain is expected to cause flash flooding in Florida through mid-week, the NHC forecast said. Then, flash flooding and heavy rain will hit the Gulf Coast later this week.
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