NHC says 40 percent chance of cyclone near Tampa, Florida

[July 31, 2017]    (Reuters) - A small low pressure area located about 90 miles west of Tampa, Florida, has a 40 percent chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Monday.

The system is expected to produce gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall across portions of the Florida peninsula during the next couple of days, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.

"Environmental conditions are marginally conducive for some additional development before the low moves inland over the central Florida peninsula later today or tonight," the forecaster added.

(Reporting by Apeksha Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Joseph Radford)

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