The latest talk of the town has been this tropical wave brewing near Hispaniola. However, it is likely this disturbance could become a tropical depression as early as this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. The big question on everyone's mind is where the system may travel and what we could feel in central Florida. As of Thursday evening, this tropical wave has a 70% chance of development over the next seven days, along with a 40% chance of development over the next 48 hours. The system now has been given an "invest" — Invest 97-L, to be exact — meaning that hurricane center forecasters are watching it closely for potential development into a tropical depression or storm. "The wave is expected to move west-northwestward near or over Cuba on Friday and then emerge over the Straits of Florida Friday night or Saturday. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for additional development after that time, and a tropical depression is likely to form this weekend over the Straits of Florida or eastern Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Peninsula," the NHC wrote in their 8 p.m. Thursday outlook update. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/weather/tropics/tropical-depression-could-form-near-florida/67-6b798d78-3c7b-402c-b865-953287386d60 ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay