Carolinas in possible path of strengthening Atlantic storms, Hurricane Center maps show

CORRECTION: ‘Bret’ would be the name of the storm that formed off Africa in recent days, if the system strengthens to tropical storm status. A previous version of this story listed a wrong name.

Two storms off the African coast are expected to strengthen as they trek across the Atlantic Ocean this week — and at least one of them could veer northwest toward the Carolinas, a National Hurricane Center map showed Monday.

The first storm was close to becoming a tropical cyclone and could turn into a more intense tropical depression later in the day, according to a National Hurricane Center storm bulletin at 8 a.m. Monday.

A tropical depression could form out of the trailing second storm in the next few days, National Hurricane Center forecasters said.

The storms organized in recent days as batches of showers and thunderstorms several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.

Initial National Hurricane Center maps over the weekend showed the path of the first storm veering northwest toward the Carolinas. Updated maps Sunday and Monday showed the track significantly farther to the south.

The path of the second storm veers more north toward the U.S., according to the latest Hurricane Center map at 8 a.m. Monday.

Hurricane Center forecasters on Monday upped the chances of the first storm intensifying to 100% and the second storm to 40%.

Tropical depressions pack winds of up to 38 mph, and tropical storms 39 mph to 73 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service.

At 8 a.m. Monday, the first system was about midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles. The second system was still several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde islands.

‘Be prepared’

The predicted path of the first storm on the initial National Hurricane Center map was “a very favorable track for any storm that forms in the Atlantic,” although it’s way too early to forecast where the storm will end up, meteorologist Joshua Palmer with the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina, told The Charlotte Observer on Saturday.

“Confidence in any direction is extremely low,” Palmer said about the ultimate path of the storm. “We really don’t know where the storm is going to go.”

Palmer said it would take 12 days for the storm to reach the U.S. coast, if it does. The disturbance could head in any direction by then, he said, and “right now, there’s absolutely no concern for the Carolinas.”

The storms were classified as “tropical waves,” wide areas of “disorganized showers and thunderstorms,” according to the National Hurricane Center.

“It would be pretty rare and unusual if it develops outs here during this part of the season,” meteorologist Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel said on Twitter Saturday morning.

If either storm intensifies to tropical storm status, it will be named “Bret,” the next name on the Hurricane Center list.

In a Saturday night update, NWS meteorologists in the Greer office said they doubted the first storm would reach the Carolinas, but it was time to be prepared.

“Hurricane season officially started June 1st and we are already seeing the Atlantic heating up,” NWS meteorologists said on Twitter. “Though likely not to affect our area, this is a GREAT time to ensure you have your emergency kit refreshed or made. ‘Tis the season, be prepared!”

Of more immediate concern is a weather system from the Great Lakes expected to dump heavy rains all week on the western Carolinas, including Charlotte, which could see 3 or 4 inches, Palmer said.

Charlotte severe weather

Thunder rumbled in the Charlotte area Monday morning, including Lake Norman.

“Waves of showers and embedded thunderstorms” from the southwest could produce damaging winds and large hail to the Charlotte region Monday, according to an NWS hazardous weather alert Monday.

Charlotte has a 70% to 90% chance of storms Monday through Friday and a 60% chance Saturday and Sunday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 10 a.m. Monday.