Just a week after Hurricane Milton left its mark on Florida, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is keeping an eye on a new system that might develop in the Atlantic.
While the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is still ongoing, there are currently no named storms active. The next storm on the list will be named Nadine. Although Nadine hasn’t formed yet, the NHC is tracking a disturbed weather area located several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. This system has a 50% chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next week.
Currently, there is no official forecast path for this potential storm. However, preliminary predictions suggest it could head toward southeast Florida after passing over Puerto Rico.
As of Monday morning, the NHC described this system as a “well-defined area of low pressure” with “disorganized showers and thunderstorms.”
The NHC reported, “This system is currently in a dry environment, making development unlikely for the next couple of days. However, as it moves toward warmer waters, conditions could become more favorable for slow development later this week.”
The NHC noted that a tropical depression could form as the system makes its way west-northwest toward the Leeward Islands.
Tropical waves, which are areas of low pressure in the ocean, are responsible for about 85% of tropical storm formations, according to AccuWeather.
Meteorologist Berardelli mentioned that models show “hints of development” in the coming days. “A favorable climate pattern is expected to set up in the next couple of weeks,” he added.
In addition to the system in the Atlantic, AccuWeather meteorologists are also watching a gyre, a system of rotating ocean currents, that might intensify into a stronger storm in the Western Caribbean by the end of the week. The NHC has not begun monitoring this system yet.
Berardelli emphasized, “It needs attention, but models show mixed signals regarding its development.” He mentioned that a cold front approaching Florida could temporarily prevent any tropical systems from moving northward.