Forecasters watching system in Atlantic

All eyes are on a tropical disturbance, called Invest 99L, in the Atlantic.

EMA Director Susan Harris said that Hurricane hunter aircraft investigated the system on Wednesday, but was unable to find a closed low level of center circulation.

“However, some of our more dependable computer models do suggest some development with this system as it moves toward the Bahamas by the end of this week,” she said.

THursday morning, the National Hurricane Center predicted formation chances through 48 hours at 50 percent, and  formation chances through the next five days as high, or 80 percent

Harris said that there will be a lot of different models and scenarios in over the next several days.

“We want you to know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you informed as to what our latest thinking regarding the system is,” she said. “There is the potential for the system to pose some sort of threat to portions of the southeast U.S. by the early to middle part of next week, but if this does occur, it is still far too early to talk about any specific impacts to the north central Gulf Coast.”

According to the Weather Channel, the system should arrive in the southeast or central Bahamas by Friday or Saturday.

Weather Channel forecasters say that by this time, an upper-level pressure should be established over the southern Appalachians eastward to the coast of Virginia and North Carolina.

The upper-level system could cause the system to get pushed into the Gulf of Mexico, with the potential for a second landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast next week, possibly as a strong hurricane.

NOAA scientists say this is the riskiest part of the hurricane season, as tropical cyclones typically spike during an eight-week period that lasts from mid-August through the middle of October,

This “peak season” includes 78 percent of tropical storm days, 87 percent of days with Category 1 and 2 hurricanes on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and a dizzying 96 percent of the major hurricane days (Category 3, 4 and 5), the NOAA said.

Turns out the day you’re most likely to see one of these storms is Sept. 10