Latest Tropical Weather Update for the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific

The start of the month of September is a signal that the Atlantic hurricane season is reaching its peak time of activity. Will the next named feature come to life this week? Read on for the latest details about the tropical weather forecast for the Atlantic, as well as a look at what is happening in the Eastern Pacific.

Increased Activity on Deck for the Atlantic Basin

Tropical activity is forecast to ramp up in the week ahead as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches its climatological peak date of September 10. Although the busiest month of the tropical weather season in the Atlantic basin is getting off to a slow start, the action is predicted to increase in the weeks ahead.

A tropical wave that came off the coast of Africa is showing signs of tropical development as it churns to the south-southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands. The most likely period of intensification would be by the end of this week. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), this disturbance is expected to move in a west to northwest direction across the eastern and central portions of the Atlantic this week at a speed of 15 mph.

The significant amounts of dry air in this part of the Atlantic will slow down the growth of this feature, translating to a gradual strengthening. It is still possible for this disturbance to become a hurricane by the end of the weekend. The next name up on the list of Atlantic storms is Gabrielle.

An influential zone of higher pressure anchored over the central Atlantic will work to put a lid on tropical development in the short term in this part of the basin. However, forecasters are anticipating that the atmospheric conditions will become more supportive of further development heading into next week.

The long-range forecast is calling for more tropical waves to eject off the western coastline of Africa in the days ahead. As conditions become more friendly to further development, it is likely that the basin will see more named storms form in the weeks ahead.

The Gulf is also likely to become a hotbed of tropical activity as September progresses. The warm waters in this part of the world's ocean will translate to a higher chance of rapid intensification for any storms that do form.

Update on Tropical Storm Kiko and the East Pacific