Early Friday morning, tropical wave 98L grew into Tropical Depression 9.
It's moving slowly westward in the central Caribbean, expected to grow into a tropical storm later today, and reach hurricane strength by Monday between Honduras and Jamaica.
A very preliminary projection by the National Hurricane Center has the storm, which would be named Hermine, veering northward across Cuba on Tuesday.
It could become a Category 1 hurricane over Cuba, and Category 2 by the time it threatens the southern and western shores of lower Florida Wednesday.
Various computer models agree on the storm remaining in the eastern half of the Gulf of Mexico before a chance to continue north into the southeastern U.S.
Local meteorologists in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are already urging residents there to start organizing for the need to prepare for the storm's arrival late next week.
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Tropical depression could become hurricane, hit Florida next week
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