The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday further raised already high odds that an Atlantic system could develop into the season’s next tropical depression or storm this week.

If it were to spin up into a named system, it could become Tropical Storm Cristobal.

As of the NHC’s 8 p.m. tropical outlook, showers and thunderstorms were showing signs of organization in association with a tropical wave located about 700 miles southwest of the Cape Verde Islands in the central tropical Atlantic.

“Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for development during the next few days, and a tropical depression will likely form within a couple of days while the system moves westward to west-northwestward across the central tropical Atlantic,” forecasters said.

The NHC gave the system a 60% chance to develop in the next two days and 80% chance in the next seven, up from 40% and 70% earlier in the day.

Also, as of 8 p.m., the NHC began tracking a tropical wave just offshore of the coast of west Africa that is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

“Environmental conditions are forecast to be generally conducive for some development of this system during the next several days while it moves westward or west-northwestward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic,” forecasters said.

NHC gives it a 10% chance to form within two days and 20% within seven days.

Forecasters continue to track another system in the central subtropical Atlantic, located about 900 miles east-northeast of Bermuda and moving away from the U.S. Satellite images indicate it had become better defined on Tuesday, increasing chances for development.

“Further development of this system is possible, and a short-lived tropical depression or storm could form during the next day or so while it moves eastward at around 20 mph across the central subtropical Atlantic,” the NHC said. “The system is forecast to reach cooler waters by Thursday, ending its chances of formation.”

The NHC gave it a 40% chance to develop in the next two to seven days, up from 20% in the previous advisory.

Earlier Tuesday, the NHC dropped to 0% the chances another tropical wave could develop. It was closing within 500 miles of the Caribbean, though, and was still forecast to bring locally heavy rain and gusty winds to the Lesser Antilles in the next couple of days.

So far the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, has been slow with only two named systems – tropical storms Arthur and Bertha.

After Cristobal, the next names on the list are Dolly and Edouard.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last week updated its seasonal forecast, stating it expects between seven and 13 named storms this year. Of those, two to six would become hurricanes. It also predicted that there might not be any major hurricanes this year, or at most two.

Already 2026 was forecast to have lower-than-average storm generation, and that has been reduced even further with the latest forecasts from the NOAA and other weather groups.

An average year would see 14 named storms and seven hurricanes, with three of those growing to Category 3 strength or higher.

The height of hurricane season, though, has yet to begin, running between mid-August and mid-October.

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