ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center increased the odds Thursday that a system could develop in the Caribbean and become the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

As of the NHC’s 8 a.m. tropical outlook, it said a broad area of low pressure is likely to develop over the southwestern Caribbean Sea by the weekend.

“Gradual development is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form over the weekend or early next week while the system drifts generally northward or northwestward over the central or western Caribbean Sea,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 50% chance to develop in the next seven days, up from 40% forecast most of the week.

If it were to gain enough steam, it could become Tropical Storm Patty.

The potential system would come in the final month of the official hurricane season, which runs from June 1-Nov. 30.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has so far seen 15 named storms, 10 of which have become hurricanes.

Three of those struck Florida.

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