Tropical Activity Expected to Ramp Up by Middle of September
Christy Bowen
3 hours agoWhile it is looking like it will be a relatively quiet Labor Day weekend across the tropical Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is warning that the eastern portion of the basin could be ripe for development next week. Here is what forecasters are keeping an eye on as the Atlantic hurricane season rumbles toward its climatological peak.
Next Named Tropical Feature Could Spring to Life by Next Week
Conditions have been calm across the Atlantic this week, following on the heels of Hurricane Erin and Tropical Storm Fernand. However, the docile weather pattern is not likely to last for long.
Meteorologists are predicting that the next tropical depression could come to life in the eastern Atlantic by the early part of next week. This potential development would be right on time, as this is the time of the year when activity naturally starts to pick up the pace.
The latest forecast models indicate that a tropical wave is likely to exit off the coast of western Africa sometime this weekend. This wave is forecast to gain intensity as it skirts past the Cabo Verde Islands and into the open waters of the Atlantic.
The NHC is predicting that this tropical wave could go through a slow development phase next week as it moves to the west and northwest between Africa and the Lesser Antilles. The wave could run into problems as it attempts to grow if it encounters pockets of wind shear and dry air in the eastern portion of the Atlantic. Both of these atmospheric elements generally work to break apart budding systems.
Because of the anticipated slower speed of this wave, it could still be churning hundreds of miles to the east of the Lesser Antilles in a week. It could be even longer before the storm makes its way into the Caribbean or toward the U.S. There is also the chance that any developing tropical weather maker would turn to the north and back out into the open Atlantic. This would be similar to the path recently traveled by Tropical Storm Frenand.
The next name up on the predetermined list is Gabrielle. Only time will tell if this name is used by next week or if it will need to wait a little longer.