Storms across Florida could develop into tropical storm in gulf

What's beneficial for Florida might not be good for states around the Gulf of Mexico.

Storms sweeping west across the peninsula today and through the rest of the week should bring more much-needed rain to the drought-ridden state. However, those same storms could organize when they hit the warm gulf waters and spin into a tropical storm or hurricane, according to Tim Sedlock, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

The next storm will be named Jerry.

"It's a possibility in the next 24 to 48 hours," he said, adding there would be no threat to Florida. "The National Hurricane Center is watching them."

The wave of storms that started stretching across the Treasure Coast and most of Florida's east coast on Tuesday should move out of the state by Friday, Sedlock said. Scattered storms could still creep into the weekend, but they wouldn't last long.

But a tropical depression could organize as early as late Thursday evening, according to Sedlock. As of right now, there is no indication on whether a depression will form, but conditions are favorable.