The peak of the late-season hurricane season is in full swing and the oceans are filling up with storms, including a potential development in the Caribbean that Florida should keep an eye on.
The National Hurricane Center is considering a hurricane and two tropical depressions that are expected to remain far from land, and two disturbances that could develop into something stronger this week.
What we need to watch for is the disturbance in the Caribbean Sea, which could develop in the same space as Hurricane Helene last week. Forecasters say a tropical depression could form and move northwest into the Gulf of Mexico.
As of 8 a.m. Monday, the hurricane center gave the country a 40% chance of strengthening over the next seven days and no chance of strengthening over the next two days, down from earlier in the morning.
“While interests in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and along the U.S. Gulf Coast should continue to monitor the progress of this system, the timetable for potential development has been pushed back to late week or this weekend,” forecasters wrote.
James Spann, a meteorologist for Birmingham’s ABC affiliate WBMA, said it was too early to have any confidence about where the future storm might go, but it was worth watching.
“It’s too early to know the final destination or intensity,” he wrote on not. know how things will work out at the moment.”
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
A new disturbance in the far eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean threatens to develop into a tropical depression this week. The hurricane center gave it an 80% chance of strengthening within the next seven days and a 30% chance of strengthening over the next two days.
It’s too early to know where it might go if it were to form, beyond the west.
The two other tropical depressions – and one hurricane – in the Atlantic Ocean all have forecast tracks from the hurricane center, and all three show paths that keep them away from land.
Tropical Storm Isaac is located north of the Azores and weakens further north into a tropical depression on Thursday.
Tropical depression Joyce, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, has a forecast that is moving very slowly straight north. Forecasters expect the depression to remain a slow, weak depression through Monday morning and then dissipate quickly.
Tropical Depression Twelve, which lies just west of the potential new system, could develop into a tropical storm as early as Monday. The next name on the list is Kirk.
The storm’s projected path bends toward the northwest, but away from land. Forecasters said Saturday it could be a major Category 3 hurricane.
