AccuWeather ‘not sounding alarm bells’ but don’t let your guard down

The second named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to form today or Saturday, less than a week before the Fourth of July holiday.

Predictions call for it to quickly become the first hurricane of the season as it moves into the Caribbean.

Although it’s currently Invest 95L, once named, it’ll be Beryl.

➤ Spaghetti models for Invest 95L

➤ Track all active storms

While the future Beryl is expected to approach the Lesser Antilles by the end of the weekend, predictions on where it will go after that depend on a variety of factors.

Could Florida feel an impact from what will become Beryl, and could any impacts affect your Fourth of July plans? Here’s what you should know.

Current forecast for Invest 95L. When will it become Tropical Storm Beryl?

Invest 95L: A low pressure system located about 1500 miles east-southeast of the Windward Islands is gradually becoming better defined.

Showers and thunderstorms are also showing signs of organization, and a tropical depression or tropical storm will likely form later today or on Saturday.

➤ Tropics watch June 28: Tropical Storm Beryl expected to form soon

This system is expected to move westward at 15 to 20 mph and approach the Lesser Antilles by the end of the weekend. Residents in the area should monitor the progress of this system.

• Formation chance through 48 hours: high, 90 percent.
• Formation chance through 7 days: high, 90 percent.

Spaghetti models for Invest 95L. Will it approach Florida?

Can’t see the map? Open in a new browser.

Special note about spaghetti models: Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

Invest 95L becoming better organized. Could become hurricane early next week

“As we speak, the storm is betting a lot better organized and may form later today or by tomorrow morning” into Tropical Storm Beryl, said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane forecaster

“The official forecast is for a strong tropical storm to approach the Less Antilles Monday. It may become a hurricane by then, and we’re getting a little more concerned about that possibility” DaSilva said.

“There’s plenty of warm water. Wind shear is decreasing as the storm moves west. It’s dealing with some dry air and wind shear right now but (conditions) are turning more favorable for development over the weekend.”

Timeline: Where could Beryl go and when will it become a hurricane?

Look for the storm to approach the Lesser Antilles Monday and move into the Central Caribbean Tuesday or Wednesday.

Where it goes after that, along with development, depend on a couple of factors: land interaction and a system of high pressure over the southeastern United States, DaSilva said.

If it moves over Hispaniola or eastern Cuba, the land and mountains could disrupt its circulation, leading to less organization and weakening from a wind speed perspective. That doesn’t mean those areas wouldn’t feel an impact from the storm, which could dump a huge amount of rain on the islands, DaSilva said.

By the Fourth of July, the storm will likely be a hurricane in the western Caribbean, south of Cuba.

“From that point, we’re going to have to watch an area of high pressure across the southeastern U.S. If there is weakness in that high-pressure system, (Beryl) could be drawn up north into either the Gulf of Mexico or the Florida Peninsula,” DaSilva said.

Timing would be next weekend if it does get drawn north, so really watch this thing July 5-7, DaSilva said.

If the system of high pressure stays strong, the storm will be forced west and go into Yucatan and Mexico. with no real impacts to the U.S.

Will Florida feel any impact from Beryl on Fourth of July?

The system that’s expected to become Beryl is compact so nothing should be felt across Florida on the Fourth of July that’s associated with the storm.

“You may get just the normal run-of-the-mill summer thunderstorms, but nothing associated with Beryl,” DaSilva said.

July 4th Florida forecast: Scorching heat and severe storms ahead. Where to watch in Florida. See radar

Worst-case scenario: Florida could feel impact from Beryl by next weekend

Long-range forecasts can change a lot and depend on several evolving factors, but the worst-case scenario could see some impact from Beryl across Florida next weekend.

How much or even if anything is felt depend on the state of the storm later next week and interaction with the islands, which could pull it apart. But if there’s less interaction with land, the system could become more organized, DaSilva said.

A worst case scenario all depend on the state of the storm next week and that interaction with Cuba and Hispaniola. One possibility is rain associated with Beryl affecting Florida next weekend.

The most likely scenario is that Beryl will head west into Mexico and miss Florida entirely, DaSilva said.

“We want people to be alert and aware. We don’t want people to be caught off guard. We’re not sounding alarm bells, and the holiday looks OK. Beyond that, just watch and see,” DaSilva said.

Hurricane Beryl likely to ‘plow’ through Windward Islands next week

Hurricane Tracker App tweeted Friday morning:

“It’s becoming likely that we will have a Hurricane named #Beryl plowing through the Windward Islands Mon am through Tues am.

“Data shows it reaching Cat 1 status with winds 74-95 mph. All interests in the Windward Islands should be preparing for a hurricane. Upgrade likely today (Friday, June 28).”

The final release of Rankings Week for EA Sports College Football 25 was announced on Friday, and of course that would be overall team ratings. Georgia, who had the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense according to the creators of the highly anticipated video game, comes in with an overall rating of 95 to lead the way as the nation’s No. 1 team.

Ohio State (93), Oregon (93), Alabama (92) and Texas (92) round out the top five. The Bulldogs will play both the Crimson Tide and Longhorns this season as part of the new-look SEC. On top of that, No. 6 Clemson (90) is also on the schedule as the season-opener on August 31st, as is No. 15 Ole Miss (88) later in the season in Oxford.

EA SPORTS TEAM POWER RANKINGS

1. Georgia (95)
2. Ohio State (93)
3. Oregon (93)
4. Alabama (92)
5. Texas (92)
6. Clemson (90)
7. Notre Dame (90)
8. LSU (90)
9. Penn State (88)
10. Utah (88)
11. Michigan (88)
12. Florida State (88)
13. Miami (88)
14. Texas A&M (88)
15. Ole Miss (88)
16. Colorado (87)
17. Oklahoma (87)
18. Wisconsin (87)
19. USC (87)
20. Virginia Tech (87)
21. NC State (87)
22. Kansas (87)
23. Arizona (87)
24. Oklahoma State (87)
25. Iowa (87)

Georgia is going to be led by quarterback Carson Beck – who can be expected to be among the game’s highest ranked players. The preseason Heisman Trophy favorite broke a school record for completion percentage last season, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards at a 72.4% rate.

Beck will have support surrounding him too on both side of the ball. The Bulldogs’ top playmakers include wide receivers Dominic Lovett, Dillon Bell and Colbie Young, among others, running back Trevor Etienne, tight ends Oscar Delp and Ben Yurosek and an All-American caliber defensive trio of Mykel Williams, Smael Mondon and Malaki Starks. That’s just a few of the big time contributors for Kirby Smart and company as Georgia enters as Vegas’ pick to bring home the first title of the 12-team College Football Playoff era.

EA Sports is continuing to keep college football fans anxiously awaiting EA Sports College Football 25, releasing information in bits and pieces about the anticipated game. Details about sights and sounds, gameplay and more have people excited, and the expected announcement of team ratings on Friday has folks on the edge of their seat. Individual player ratings will come at a later date, but like with everything else so far, it’s fair to say that Georgia will be heavily involved in that too.

Release date is set for July 19th on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Those that pre-order the premium bundles will receive early access starting July 16th.

For close to two decades, Rick Pitino was a villain to Kentucky basketball fans, a man whose life and career had an almost Shakespearean arc.

After leading the Wildcats from the depths of scandal to championship glory, and after an ill-fated three-year run with the Boston Celtics, Pitino stunned many nationally and angered hundreds of thousands across the commonwealth by returning to the college game to coach archrival Louisville.

Nearly 25 years after being hired at Louisville, Pitino appears eager to mend fences with Big Blue Nation — and offer them up some money, too.

REQUIRED READING: Kentucky basketball, Mark Pope will put ‘aggressive’ offense on display — and plenty of 3s

In an appearance Thursday on Kentucky Sports Radio — which was being hosted that day by the hosts of the popular podcast “Pardon My Take” — the legendary coach, now at St. John’s, said he has donated money to Kentucky football’s NIL initiatives and would happily do the same for Mark Pope and the Wildcats’ basketball program as his former player heads into his first season as Kentucky’s coach.

“Well, I actually cut a check to the football program because I’m a casual friend of Mark (Stoops) and Eddie Gran,” Pitino said. “I cut a check to the football program. I would definitely cut a check if Mark (Pope) needs me for anything no matter what it is — except for my first-born, Michael — he can have it.”

The connections to Kentucky extend beyond the basketball and football programs, as Pitino noted later in the interview that he sent a text message to Wildcats baseball coach Nick Mingione, who guided the program to its first-ever College World Series this year, wishing him good luck.

While his relationship with Stoops — whose Kentucky tenure overlapped with Pitino’s stint at Louisville for four years — wasn’t widely known, Pitino’s connections to Pope have been well-established.

He coached Pope from 1993-96, an accomplished run that included a national championship in 1996 with one of the most dominant, star-studded teams in college basketball history. Pitino gave his former center a full-throated endorsement when Pope was named as John Calipari’s successor in April, helping assuage what had been intense public angst over the hiring to that point. At that time, Pitino added that he would donate NIL funds to the program if they needed it.

“I absolutely love Mark (Pope) and would do anything for his program,” Pitino said Thursday. “I always called the University of Kentucky Camelot for me. Never had a bad year, never had a bad day. They treated me like a king.”

REQUIRED READING: Antonio Reeves rounds out Kentucky’s 2024 NBA Draft class; Justin Edwards signs with 76ers

Though Pitino, even during his time at Louisville, has long referred to Kentucky as “Camelot,” he has been much more vocal in recent months about his reverence for the program and his fond memories from his eight seasons in Lexington, from 1989-97.

In a March interview on “Pardon My Take,” Pitino expressed regret for leaving Kentucky in 1997 to become the Celtics’ head coach and president.

“Dick Vitale, every time I speak to him, ‘If you would have stayed at Kentucky, you’d have more wins than any coach,’” Pitino said. “And you think back on that.”

Pitino contrasted his treatment at Kentucky with Louisville, where he coached from 2001-17 and led the Cardinals to their third national championship, but where he was fired from in 2017 after the program was connected to the FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball.

In 2023, Pitino was exonerated by the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Resolution Process, which didn’t directly link him to any of the violations that came with the Cardinals’ recruitment of former five-star prospect Brian Bowen. Still, Pitino said he would only possibly consider returning to Louisville for any kind of banner-raising or ceremony if the university reconciles with former athletic director Tom Jurich, who was also fired in October 2017 in the wake of the FBI probe.

“They treated me with great respect,” Pitino said Thursday of Kentucky. “Obviously, I didn’t get treated great when I was at Louisville, but sitting back on it and examining it today, I totally understand why. So I am very, very fond of the University of Kentucky.”