TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As the first month of hurricane season comes to an end, we’re starting to see a slight uptick in tropical activity with three systems currently being monitored in the Atlantic basin.
The National Hurricane Center is keeping an eye on one potential tropical cyclone and two other disturbances. None of them pose any kind of major storm threat to the United States, but one could become the next named storm of the season – Bonnie.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Two
The NHC started issuing advisories on Monday for Potential Tropical Cyclone Two in the Caribbean Sea. It could become a named storm at some point this week.
The potential tropical cyclone is about 130 miles southeast of Curacao as of 11 a.m. ET Wednesday and is moving west at about 24 mph. According to the NHC, Potential Tropical Cyclone Two will pass near the northern cost of Venezuela on Wednesday before passing Colombia on Thursday and near Nicaragua by Friday.
Maximum sustained winds are about 40 mph as of 11 a.m. The NHC says the system will likely strengthen in the coming days while it stays over water.
“Conditions appear conducive for development while the disturbance remains over water, and it is expected become a tropical storm while moving westward across the southern Caribbean Sea,” NHC forecasters said.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Two has been given a high 80 percent change of formation in the next 48 hours and a high 90 percent chance of formation through the next five days.
Other disturbances
Two other disturbances are also being monitored by the NHC. The first is an area of low pressure in the northern Gulf of Mexico that forecasters say is producing disorganized shower and thunderstorms off the coast of Texas.
While the disturbance has not become more organized, the NHC believes some development is possible.
“It could become a short-lived tropical depression near the coast [of Texas] before it moves inland [Wednesday night] or early Thursday,” the NHC said. “Regardless of development, heavy rain will be possible along portions of the Texas coast for the next few days.”
Hurricane Hunters are scheduled to investigate the disturbance Wednesday afternoon. It has been given a medium 40 percent chance of formation through 48 hours and five days.
The second disturbance being monitored by the NHC is a tropical wave producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms in the central tropical Atlantic.
“Slow development of the wave is possible while it moves west-northwestward for the next few days,” the NHC said. “The wave is forecast to move over the Windward Islands late Friday or early Saturday and then over the eastern Caribbean Sea by the weekend, where further development is unlikely due to unfavorable environmental conditions.”
The disturbance in the Atlantic has been given a low 10 percent formation chance through 48 hours and a low 30 percent formation chance through the next five days.
Tracking the Tropics streams at 2 p.m. ET every Wednesday during hurricane season. For the latest updates, check out our Tracking the Tropics website.
