Meteorologists Highlight Potential Area of Concern for the U.S. in the Tropics

What was once Tropical Storm Lorenzo is currently losing strength and moving away from any major landmasses. However, that does not mean that the tropics are starting to go into hibernation for the winter. Forecasters are warning that the Caribbean is likely to be the next area of concern across the Atlantic as the season inches toward its official end on November 30.

Lorenzo Fading Away, But More Tropical Action Expected

With a little over a month left in the Atlantic hurricane season, it would be easy to get complacent. However, more action is predicted to fire up in the coming weeks.

According to the late Wednesday update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Lorenzo is now a post-tropical cyclone with top wind speeds of 35 mph. The feature is moving to the northeast at 16 mph with a track that is sending it into the open seas away from land. The latest forecast models predict that Lorenzo will fall apart completely by late Friday as it curves back toward Africa.

What is more concerning now is a large tropical wave of low pressure that recently ejected off the coast of Africa. These features that move into the Eastern Atlantic often serve as the seeds for tropical weather development once they reach warmer waters. Tropical waves are defined by their poorly organized clusters of rain showers and thunderstorms that come to life over the Indian Ocean or Africa. On average, about 20% of these waves intensify into named storms.