Two tropical depressions could form this week. There’s another system to watch, too
How do you know it’s late August?
“By the number of weather disturbances we are monitoring at the moment,” the National Hurricane Center said on Twitter.
Forecasters are watching three disturbances, and two have a high chance of turning into tropical depressions by the end of the week. None pose a threat to Florida right now.
One of the disturbances carried disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the central tropical Atlantic about 800 miles southeast of Bermuda, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. Wednesday advisory.
Forecasters expect the system will see some slow development over the next day or so because of unfavorable upper-level winds.
“Afterwards, environmental conditions are expected to become more conducive for development and a tropical depression is likely to form late this week or this weekend while the system turns eastward,” forecasters wrote.
As of the 8 a.m. update, the system’s development chances went up: a 30% chance of turning into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours and a 80% chance of formation in the next five days.
The other disturbance forecasters are closely watching is a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea that might threaten the northwest Gulf Coast.
This disturbance is expected to produce a broad area of low pressure later in the week, and forecasters said environmental conditions should be favorable enough for it to gradually develop into a tropical depression later this week or the weekend.
Forecasters gave it a 40% chance of forming in the next two days, but an 80% chance of turning into a depression within the week. It’s expected to move northwest over the Caribbean Sea, across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico by Sunday.
The third disturbance, a tropical wave several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, has a concentrated area of showers and thunderstorms. While it could see some development in the next few days, forecasters don’t expect it will turn into a tropical depression anytime soon, thanks to less favorable conditions in the future.
It has a 20% of formation in the next 48 hours and 30% chance of formation within the week.
The next storm name is Ida.
