Invest 94L has just been upgraded to Tropical Depression Nine. Tropical Storm Watches & Warnings have been issued for much of the eastern Caribbean, and it is likely that Nine will become Isaac today.

Nine's internal structure is very impressive, and now that the cyclone is able to more efficiently chase away dry air, it is possible that it intensifies faster than initially forecast; while such an event could give the Antilles a blow, yet spare the rest of the Caribbean and Florida, this is by no means a guarantee. High pressure to Nine's north is pretty solid, and it is not clear whether enough weakness will exist to allow even a moderate tropical cyclone to veer poleward prior to getting a good deal further west.