Hurricane center tracking new system in mid Atlantic

A new system emerged in the Atlantic over the weekend and has a small chance of developing, the National Hurricane Center said Monday morning.

As of the NHC’s 2 a.m. tropical outlook, a broad trough of low pressure located several hundred miles south-southeast of Bermuda was showing increased showers and thunderstorms.

“Upper-level winds are currently not favorable for much additional development of this system as it moves slowly north-northwestward over the next several days, remaining over the Central Atlantic well southeast of Bermuda,” said NHC hurricane specialist Philippe Papin.

The NHC gives the system a 10% chance of development into a tropical depression or storm in the next 2-5 days.

Earlier Sunday, another system that began in the Gulf of Mexico brought heavy rain as it moved inland over Texas. The NHC had given that system low chances of forming over the weekend, but it made landfall without further development.

The National Weather Service warned of localized flash flooding through Monday.

Hurricane season is approaching the portion of the year known as the peak of season, which is known for the most prolific production of storms between mid-August and mid-October, with Sept. 10 recorded as the statistically most productive day of storms in the tropics.

So far, the 2022 season has seen three named storms: Alex, Bonnie and Colin. Based on historical averages, the fourth named storm of the year typically appears by Aug. 15. If a system were to emerge, it would receive the name Danielle.

Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reaffirmed its preseason prediction of an above-average hurricane season with a range of 14 to 21 named storms. The NOAA expects most of those storms to emerge at the peak of the season.

Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30.

Staff writer Joe Mario Pedersen contribute to this report.