National Hurricane Center tracking 4 tropical waves. How long will the quiet last?
The tropics are quiet for now, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
No disturbances currently are showing up on the Hurricane Center's tropical outlook map, although there are four tropical waves being monitored by forecasters, including two in the Caribbean Sea.
Historically, the peak of hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-October. Nothing is normal this season, though. The second named storm of the season, Hurricane Beryl, broke numerous records, including become the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 storm.
Tropics should remain quiet until end of July but 'don't let your guard down'
AccuWeather forecasters are predicting the tropics should remain quiet until the end of the month due to Saharan dust and strong wind shear in the Atlantic basin. Both tend to decrease the risk for storms to develop or strengthen.
"We're in the doldrums of the season," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert. "There's always the possibility, but we don't see (another Beryl) happening."
By the end of July or beginning of August, tropical activity could ramp up.
"We're still expecting a very, very busy season," DaSilva said. "Don't let your guard down. Don't be fooled by the quiet period. We're at the very beginning of hurricane season. It will ramp up and it could ramp up very quickly."
The next storm of the season will be Debby.
Points of origin for tropical cyclones between 1851 and 2015. Where do July storms form?
From July 11 through July 20, tropical cyclones' point of origin generally are clustered off the eastern coast of the U.S., in the Gulf of Mexico and near the Windward Islands.
That's not the case for the final days of July. Based on historical data, from July 21 through July 31, many named storms form off the eastern coast of Florida south toward the eastern tip of Cuba and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Other storms do form elsewhere, including the stretch of Atlantic between the coast of Africa and the Caribbean.
Data from the National Hurricane Center breaks down where named storms originated between 1851 and 2015.
Where do named storms 'tend to occur' in July?
Based on analysis from 1944 to 2020, National Hurricane Center maps show July storms tend to pop up off the eastern coast of Florida and the U.S., east and west of the Windward Islands, and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Where do most July hurricanes occur?
Between 1944 and 2020, between five and 19 hurricanes have passed within 150 nautical miles off the coast of Northeast Florida and the eastern coast of the U.S., and the Gulf of Mexico from northeast Mexico to the western tip of Florida's Panhandle.
➤ Will hurricane hit Florida during 2024 season?
Here's the latest update from the NHC as of 8 a.m. July 15:
What is NOAA tracking in Atlantic basin?
The National Hurricane Center said no tropical cyclone activity is expected over the next several days.
Elsewhere in the tropics, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring four tropical waves:
Tropical wave 1: A tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic is moving west at 17 to 23 mph.
Tropical wave 2: A tropical wave in the central Atlantic is moving west at 17 to 23 mph.
Tropical wave 3: A tropical wave in the central Caribbean stretches from the Bahamas to Haiti. It's moving west at 11 mph.
Tropical wave 4: A tropical wave in the western Caribbean stretches across Honduras and Nicaragua into the Pacific Ocean. It's moving west at 6 to 11 mph.
Who is likely to be impacted?
Forecasters urge all residents to continue monitoring the tropics and to always be prepared. That advice is particularly important for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.
When is next Florida hurricane tax free supplies holiday?
Save on hurricane supplies between Aug. 24 and Sept. 6. This will be the final tax-free holiday for 2024 when it comes to emergency supplies and it comes during the busiest period of the hurricane season.
Can't afford a generator or weeks of food? Here are the basics you should have on hand.
Eligible items included in the tax-free holiday include:
A portable generator used to provide light or communications or preserve food in the event of a power outage with a sales price of $3,000 or less.
A tarpaulin or other flexible waterproof sheeting with a sales price of $100 or less.
An item normally sold as, or generally advertised as, a ground anchor system or tie-down kit with a sales price of $100 or less.
A smoke detector or smoke alarm with a sales price of $70 or less.
A fire extinguisher with a sales price of $70 or less.
A carbon monoxide detector with a sales price of $70 or less.
A nonelectric food storage cooler with a sales price of $60 or less.
A portable power bank with a sales price of $60 or less.
A gas or diesel fuel tank with a sales price of $50 or less.
A portable self-powered radio, two-way radio, or weather-band radio with a sales price of $50 or less.
A package of AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries, with a sales price of $50 or less.
A portable self-powered light source (powered by battery, solar, hand-crank, or gas) with a sales price of $40 or less, including: flashlights, lanterns and candles.
Eligible light sources and radios qualify for the exemption, even if electrical cords are included in the purchase.
Reusable ice (ice packs) with a sales price of $20 or less.
➤ See full list of items, including pet and cleaning supplies, exempt from sales tax
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
National Hurricane Center map: What are forecasters watching now?
Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include:
Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city
Excessive rainfall forecast
What's next?
We will continue to update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: NHC tracking 4 tropical waves. July hurricanes, storms
