A sprawling tropical system churning toward the Gulf Coast threatens to bring significant rain and flash flooding this week to a large swath of the southeast, from the Florida panhandle to Louisiana and parts of eastern Texas.

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 low pressure system near Florida has a 40% chance of developing into at least a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center.