Meteorologists are monitoring a possible storm forming in the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida that has the potential to develop into a cyclone—an event unheard of in March were it to move into the Sunshine State.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) at Miami has issued a tropical weather outlook for the disturbance, noting that it has already been producing gale-force winds, as well as "a large area" of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

Why It Matters

Historically, the Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), no such events have ever made landfall in Florida in March. The Atlantic Ocean's conditions in early spring are generally too cool to support tropical development.

Climate change has contributed to warmer ocean temperatures, according to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, which can lead to storms forming outside the typical hurricane season.

What to Know

"A non-tropical area of low pressure located about 700 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands is producing gale-force winds and a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms," the National Hurricane Center said.

It said there was a 10 percent chance of the system developing into a cyclone .

The current potential storm is expected to move northwards and westward, though it is not currently forecast to make landfall or develop further.

What People Are Saying

AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Roys told Newsweek : "This storm is expected to remain a non-tropical storm. The commentary from [National Hurricane Center] forecasters basically say we see the storm out in the Atlantic and it is going to stay out in the Atlantic and it is not expected to become tropical."

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy said: "Increased atmospheric and oceanic temperatures lead to stronger hurricanes, more rainfall and snowfall, longer wildfire seasons and more frequent droughts. In the winter, increased temperatures lead to the melting of the polar ice caps, which disrupts the polar vortex, allowing it to break down and send frigid Arctic air into more places more frequently. This pattern was behind the winter storms that hit the U.S. in early 2024, such as Finn and Gerri."

What Happens Next

The National Hurricane Center says that no tropical weather outlooks are scheduled for the system in question, unless conditions were to change.

"Regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlooks will resume on May 15, 2025, and Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as necessary during the remainder of the off-season," it added.

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