A complex weather pattern is gathering together in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to move east, bringing torrential rain and the threat of a tropical depression or weak tropical storm to

"While the exact track and intensity of the feature unfolding in the gulf have yet to be determined, Florida will bear the brunt this time around," AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "At this time, the intensity will range from a sprawling tropical rainstorm to perhaps a strike from a more compact, full-blown hurricane."

For much of the southern and central Florida Peninsula, a broad 4 to 8 inches of rain, with localized totals of 12 inches, appears likely.

A sloppy mashup of showers and thunderstorms over the western Gulf of Mexico is expected to make its way toward South Florida bringing days of rain beginning Sunday that could total up to a foot in some areas through mid-week.

South Florida could see serious flooding over the next few days, even before what will be Hurricane Milton crosses the state on Wednesday, and local governments are getting ready. Its precise path is unclear,