Hurricane forecasters are tracking the rain system as it heads toward Florida

Meteorologists still aren’t sure whether the system will develop into a named tropical storm or possibly even a low-level hurricane. But regardless of tropical (or subtropical) development, locally heavy rainfall is expected over parts of the Florida Peninsula from late this weekend into next week, the National Hurricane Center said.

“While the exact path and intensity of the feature unfolding in the Gulf remains to be determined, Florida will bear the brunt this time,” said Bernie Rayno, AccuWeather’s chief on-air meteorologist. “At this point, intensity will range from a widespread tropical rainstorm to perhaps the impact of a more compact, full-blown hurricane.”

Forecasters are currently particularly concerned about the rain.

AccuWeather said there could be several inches to a foot or more of rain in some locations, with most of the precipitation likely falling from Interstate 4 south to the Keys. Some isolated locations could see up to 30 inches of rain, AccuWeather predicts. According to the National Weather Service, many locations are expected to receive up to 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of rain.