Miami, FL – Tropical activity is showing signs of increasing across the Atlantic this week as forecasters monitor two areas for possible development, including a system expected to emerge off Africa.
According to the National Weather Service in Charleston and the National Hurricane Center’s Sunday morning tropical outlook, a broad area of showers and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave was located several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.
Forecasters said gradual development of that system is possible during the early to middle part of this week as it moves westward across the central tropical Atlantic.
The National Hurricane Center’s seven-day outlook graphic Sunday morning placed the system in the lowest development category, indicating a formation chance below 40% during the outlook period.
Meanwhile, another tropical wave is expected to move off the west coast of Africa early this week. Environmental conditions could become favorable for gradual organization after it enters the Atlantic.
Forecasters said a tropical depression could form during the latter half of the week as that second system moves generally westward. Sunday’s outlook graphic placed part of its potential development area in the 40% to 60% formation category.
Neither disturbance was a tropical depression or named storm as of Sunday morning.
The outlook does not indicate an immediate direct threat to Florida, the Southeast or the U.S. East Coast. Because both systems are still far across the tropical Atlantic, considerable uncertainty remains about whether they will organize and where they could eventually track.
Residents along the Southeast coast and elsewhere in hurricane-prone areas can monitor National Hurricane Center forecasts this week as conditions evolve.
