National Hurricane Center watching next potential storm: What to expect
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
National Hurricane Center watching next potential storm: What to expect
An area of disturbed weather in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean may become the next tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center listed the chances of the wave’s further development at 50% over the next seven days. The wave is producing “disorganized showers and thunderstorms” on Aug. 18. It could form a tropical depression by the end of the week as it moves toward the Windward Islands on the eastern side of the Caribbean, the center said. The area of potential development includes an area between the Windwards and the Dominican Republic.
An area of disturbed weather in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean may become the next tropical storm, the hurricane center said on Aug. 18. It listed the chances of the wave’s further development at 50% over the next seven days.
The wave is producing “disorganized showers and thunderstorms” on Aug. 18 and could form a tropical depression by the end of the week as it moves toward the Windward Islands on the eastern side of the Caribbean, the center said. The area of potential development includes an area between the Windwards and the Dominican Republic.
The developing system would move west-northwestward at about 20 mph, the center said. It’s too soon to say where the storm would head once it’s developed.
Forecasters at AccuWeather said Erin’s displacement of dry air over the Atlantic could help strengthen any storms that do develop.
Next up on the list of storm names for the 2025 hurricane season that started June 1 is Fernand.
Mid-August marks the beginning of the busiest part of the Atlantic hurricane season. Seasonal forecasters expect the season to be a busy one, with more storms than normal, based on their analysis of ocean conditions and weather patterns. That includes warmer-than-average ocean temperatures across the Atlantic basin. Monsoon activity over Africa also is a factor because it helps create the waves that push out westward over the Atlantic like the one the hurricane center is watching.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently updated its seasonal forecast to say it expects to see 13 to 18 named storms, with five to nine becoming hurricanes, and two to five becoming major hurricanes. Colorado State University issued a similar forecast in early August.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center shows the chances of storm development across the Atlantic’s hurricane region at greater than 20% through Sept. 2.
Erin is the season’s fifth named storm, as well as the first hurricane and first major hurricane.
Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change, violent weather and the environment for USA TODAY. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.