Forecaster: New system may threaten Florida

Hurricane watchers are keeping a wary eye on "disorganized" cloudiness and thunderstorms in the northwestern Caribbean extending east from what was Tropical Storm Matthew, with at least one forecaster predicting it will turn into Tropical Storm and/or Hurricane Nicole and possibly head towards Florida -- albeit on the opposite side of the Sunshine State from Bradenton.

Here are the words of caution from Accuweather.com:

The northwestern Caribbean seems to be the favorable spot for development over the next 24 to 48 hours and lies in the heart of AccuWeather.com Hurricane Expert Joe Bastardi's concern area through October.

A developing southerly steering flow over eastern North America would guide that system northward across Cuba and into Florida at midweek then northward along the rest of the Atlantic Seaboard during the second half of the week.

Cities from Miami to Jacksonville, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston may be affected with a blast of heavy rain from south to north with the on-deck tropical system.

Along the Atlantic Seaboard, a strong flow of air, known as wind shear, may limit the strength of such a system.

However, even a mere tropical storm can produce excessive rainfall and locally gusty winds.