Is Bertha on the Way? Forecasters Monitoring Chances of New Tropical Development Next Week

It has been a quiet period of time in the Atlantic since Tropical Storm Arthur fizzled out. Is the next named feature on the way soon? Forecasters warn that a building heat dome could lay the groundwork for the next tropical weather maker emerging from the Atlantic basin. Here is a look at what you need to know.

Heat Dome Could Fuel Next Atlantic Tropical Storm

The 2026 Atlantic season has been unusually calm thus far. However, that could change in the week ahead as the emergence of a heat dome supports the development of tropical weather. Water temperatures in the southwestern Atlantic and the Gulf are trending warmer than usual for the end of June. This warmth, paired with the energy at the edge of the heat dome, could supply the ingredients needed for tropical development. The feature would first present as an area of disorganized storms.

The next name up on the list of Atlantic names this year is Bertha.

The clusters of storms would most likely ignite on the back end of a front that is forecast to stall out when it reaches the southern Atlantic coastline later this week. The storms churning in this part of the basin could come together in a zone of low pressure, becoming the seeds for a potential tropical or subtropical event.

Meteorologists have been predicting that a large heat dome is set to build over the Midwest early next week. The normal clockwise flow of air around the zone will produce thunderstorms along the edges of the dome. This will translate to storms coming down from the Rockies and into the northern Plains at the onset. These storms will eventually make a turn to the southeast when they reach the Great Lakes. Moving farther south, the clusters of storms are expected to move from east to west.

Areas of storms that move ashore in Georgia or northern Florida are not likely to take on tropical characteristics. However, there is a chance that this system could intensify into a tropical event if the area of low pressure continues to move west along the northern Gulf Coast.

There could be several waves of storms that move in the atypical east-to-west path across the southern Atlantic coast and into the Gulf.  This movement is similar to what happens when tropical waves move off the coast of Africa across the Atlantic to the west during the peak of the season in this basin.

At this point, a potent northeasterly wind shear and the proximity of the system to land will likely put a lid on formal tropical development. But forecasters have not yet ruled out this possibility, making it important to stay abreast of the changing conditions. This is especially true if your plans for next week call for time at the beach.