New Areas of Concern in the Central Atlantic and the Southeast Coast

The odds of a named storm forming in the Atlantic basin this week are growing. Here is a look at what is happening in the tropical Atlantic. Will the basin finally wake up after a long period of dormancy?

Will Gabrielle Form This Week?

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring a large zone in the central Atlantic for potential tropical development this week. The area of rain showers and thunderstorms is making its way toward the Caribbean. As of the Monday morning update from the NHC, the system is moving to the west-northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 mph.

The weather maker is currently moving through an area of the ocean with dry and stable air. This air mass will hinder its development in the short term. However, forecasters are warning that the disturbance will soon move into a pocket of more favorable conditions.

These conditions include warmer ocean waters and a lack of prohibitive dry air and wind shear. As the system feeds on these ingredients, it is expected to become a tropical depression as soon as Wednesday.

The latest forecast models signal that this feature will make a turn to the north before reaching the primary development zone of the Caribbean. This track could take the feature toward Bermuda by the weekend. This will be something that meteorologists continue to monitor this week.

Gabrielle is the next name on the list of predetermined names. This name will be followed by Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, and Karen.