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Tropics Busy, But No Threats In Forecast For Florida

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 14, 2008

TAMPA - What was left of short-lived Tropical Storm Nana has become just a mass of rain in the Atlantic Ocean far from Florida, but forecasters say another tropical depression could form today, this one hugging the coast of Central America.

The National Hurricane Center ceased its advisories on Nana, saying the season's 14th storm is now merely an area of low pressure.

Forecasters, however, are saying another area of low pressure near Nicaragua could become the season's 16th depression as early as today. The disturbance is in an area where conditions are extremely favorable for it to strengthen, but it is so close to land that it won't have time to show much development.

Most of the forecast computer models show it moving over Central America.

A hurricane-hunter aircraft is scheduled to fly into the disturbance today.

And the hurricane season's 15th depression southwest of Puerto Rico is expected to become a tropical storm later today. It would be called Omar.

Forecasters say the storm isn't expected to move much for a day or so but will gradually strengthen and head toward Puerto Rico as a tropical storm.

The hurricane center says the depression could grow into a hurricane by Friday or Saturday as it heads into the Atlantic and away from the United States.

A fourth area of low pressure forecasters are watching that is just south of Nana isn't expected to show any significant development.

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