Hurricane center tracks 1 Caribbean, 2 Atlantic systems
Published in Weather News
ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday was keeping track of three systems with a chance to form into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.
As of the NHC’s 8 p.m. Eastern time tropical outlook, a tropical wave moving quickly westward in the Northwestern Caribbean was producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms over Hispaniola and portions of the Central Caribbean.
“Some development is possible late this week when the wave slows down over the northwestern Caribbean Sea or early next week over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico,” forecasters said.
The NHC gives it a 30% chance of development in the next seven days.
In the far eastern tropical Atlantic, a second tropical wave was producing disorganized showers.
“Some slow development of this system is possible during the next few days while it moves slowly northwestward at 5 to 10 mph over the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean,” forecasters said. “Environmental conditions are expected to become less conducive by the end of the week. This system could produce locally heavy rains and gusty winds across portions of the Cabo Verde Islands overnight and on Wednesday.”
The NHC gives it a 20% chance of development in the next two days and 30% in the next seven.
New on Tuesday, the NHC tracked another Atlantic tropical wave, this one located about a thousand miles east of the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles that was producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.
“Development of this system, if any, is expected to be slow to occur over the next couple of days while it moves west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph,” forecasters said. “Environmental conditions are expected to become unfavorable for additional development by the end of the week.”
The NHC gives it a 10% chance of development in the next two to seven days.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has so far produced five named storms: Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl, Tropical Storm Chris, Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Ernesto. The next names on the list are Francine, Gordon and Helene.
It has been three weeks since Ernesto petered out, though, which is running against predictions for what had been forecast to be extremely busy during the height of hurricane season, a stretch that normally runs from mid-August into October.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s upgraded forecast issued in August called for 17-24 named storms, of which 8-13 could become hurricanes, with 4-7 that could develop into major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher.
Hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30.
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