The National Hurricane Center gives Invest 97L an 80 percent chance of development in the next 7 days; it could impact Florida.

The area, designated on Sunday as Invest 97L, is continuing to organize in the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical depression or tropical storm is expected to form in the next couple of days as the system moves across the northwestern Caribbean into the Gulf of Mexico.

The area that is moving towards the Gulf of Mexico is expected to strengthen into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours, and will continue to strengthen as is moves into the Gulf. Models are now tightening the gaps and suggesting landfall will be along the Florida panhandle and bring significant rainfall regardless of what it develops into.