Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center now say an area of disturbed weather moving westward across the Atlantic Ocean has a 70% probability of becoming a tropical cyclone. This is just one of two systems the Hurricane Center is currently monitoring in the tropical Atlantic Basin.

The system that's further to the east is the one that has more of the attention of tropical forecasters. Over the next five days, this developing storm could begin to affect some of the islands of the Lesser Antilles, St.Thomas, St. Croix, Barbados, et al.

As of now the track guidance for the system, designated as 96L by the Hurricane center suggests the system will pass over those island nations early next week. From their the model guidance becomes less trustworthy but most of the models do turn the system to the north before it gets close to the mainland of the United States.

Forecasters do not anticipate this system sliding into the Gulf of Mexico. At least, that's the best guess for now.

The second system that is being monitored is just off the northern coast of eastern Cuba. This system is not given much of a chance to strengthen into anything more than some scattered showers and thunderstorms and gusty winds as it moves close to the east coast of Florida over the weekend.

Forecasters believe the effects of this system will be noticed late this week over the Florida peninsula and then later in the forecast period on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Of course model guidance and forecast tracks are very likely to shift over time.