Weather system coming our way

Manatee County is in for a soaking this week, as a large low pressure system works it way up the Gulf of Mexico.

Thomas Dougherty, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Ruskin, says the system is causing heavy rains in western Cuba and the Florida Keys and will reach our area by Thursday.

Manatee should expect to see at least five inches of rain between now and Saturday. “At least an inch a day, through Saturday, with more rain in isolated areas,” he said. “We’ll have some big numbers in the next few days,” Dougherty said Tuesday.

While forecasters don't expect the disorganized system to form into a tropical storm, the chance of that happenig has gone up from 30 percent ot 40 percent Tuesday. They say they'll have a better idea of what will happen in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Manatee County officials are keeping a close eye on the weather, said Steve Simpson, emergency operations manager with the Manatee County Department of Emergency Management. “We’re looking for rain, and possibly some flooding,” he said Tuesday afternoon.