Depression or no depression, the system could bring several inches of rain to the north-central Gulf Coast, including Alabama, through Friday. The National Weather Service in Mobile thinks that the most rain with this system will likely fall closer to the coast, with scattered storms possible.

Heavy rainfall will produce torrential rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour across Florida, leading to flooding in some areas, with local totals possibly reaching double digits.

A system that is producing heavy rain and thunderstorms off Florida’s east coast could become a tropical depression later this week, according to the National Hurricane Center.