National Hurricane Center watching disturbance in Gulf

Wednesday night weather forecast

It's going to be hot and dry for the foreseeable future.

ATLANTA - A broad area of low pressure near the southeastern U.S. coast is drawing attention from forecasters this week, with the potential to bring unsettled weather to parts of the Gulf Coast, including Georgia.

What we know:

According to the National Hurricane Center, the system is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms as it drifts west-southwestward into the northern and central Gulf of Mexico. While chances of tropical development remain low, forecasters say some gradual organization is possible before the system moves inland this weekend.

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What they're saying:

"Our FOX Model shows a few storms in the Gulf, but nothing of concern," said FOX 5 Storm Team chief meteorologist David Chandley. 

"Regardless of development, scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected across much of the northeastern and north-central Gulf," the forecast stated Wednesday afternoon.

Local perspective:

That includes coastal areas of Mississippi, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and potentially southeastern Georgia, which could see increased rainfall and localized flooding later in the week.

No tropical storm warnings or watches have been issued.

Dig deeper:

Upper-level disturbances and surface troughs are already generating storms across the Gulf. Showers and isolated thunderstorms were ongoing Wednesday across the north-central Gulf between 85 and 92 degrees west longitude. Similar activity was noted in the southeastern Gulf and Florida Straits, where an upper-level low continues to spin.

Winds across the Gulf remain mostly light and anticyclonic due to a weak surface high near 1018 millibars, keeping seas relatively calm at under 3 feet for now. However, forecasters say breezy northeast to east winds are expected along the Yucatan Peninsula during the evenings as a daily trough pushes offshore into the Bay of Campeche.

What you can do:

The National Weather Service advises coastal residents to stay alert for heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and hazardous marine conditions over the next several days as the system moves through the Gulf.

What's next:

The chance of development over the next seven days remains at 10%.