Tropical disturbances are expected to remain active in the Atlantic this week, with Hurricane Beryl heading toward the Caribbean Sea and another tropical disturbance being monitored developing several hundred miles behind it.
Tropical Depression Chris is also currently stalled over eastern Mexico after making landfall as a tropical storm late Sunday night.
Now, forecasters say a new tropical depression or tropical storm is possible within the next few days.
Investing 96L in the tropical mid-Atlantic
A low pressure system located roughly halfway between Africa and the southeastern Caribbean Islands is bringing showers and thunderstorms.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has named the system “Invest 96L,” which is simply a naming convention the NHC uses to identify areas it is monitoring for possible development within the next few days.
Environmental conditions appear slightly favorable for the system to develop further, with the NHC saying a tropical cyclone could develop by the middle of this week.
Forecasters predict that Invest 96L is unlikely to develop in the next two days, with a moderate chance of development in the next week.
The storm is moving westward at 15 to 20 miles per hour and could ultimately threaten parts of the Lesser Antilles.
“The current timeline is that (this system) will impact the eastern Caribbean islands around Wednesday,” said Fox Weather hurricane expert Brian Norcross. “The disturbance is still in a state of disarray, so we don’t know how strong the system will be at that point.”
If Invest 96L becomes a tropical storm, the storm will be named Debby.
Climatology of the Atlantic Basin
The 2024 Atlantic Basin hurricane season is starting earlier than usual.
According to historical data from the NHCThe fourth named storm usually forms by August 15th, and the second hurricane by August 26th.
During an average season, 14 named storms form, seven of which develop into hurricanes.
The Atlantic hurricane season lasts about 26 weeks, ending on November 30th.
