Meteorologists observed a tropical wave on Friday that will create a large area of irregular showers and thunderstorms far out in the Atlantic.
Watch: Drone sailboat sails through Hurricane Debby to collect data
Saildrone and NOAA have deployed a fleet of unmanned surface vehicles into hurricanes to better understand how these storms form.
Debby may be dissipating, but the tropics will continue to warm.
Meteorologists observed a tropical wave on Friday that will create a large area of irregular showers and thunderstorms far out in the Atlantic.
The system is expected to develop slowly, the National Hurricane Center said, but forecasters believe there is a 60 percent chance it will develop into a tropical depression early next week as it approaches the Lesser Antilles and the Caribbean Sea.
Hello, Ernesto?
When the storm finally gets a name, it will be called “Ernesto.”
“The tropical phenomenon in question just moved off the coast of Africa midweek and was located over the east-central tropical Atlantic on Thursday,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny said in an online forecast. “This system is not expected to develop into a tropical depression until Sunday, but as it approaches the Leeward Islands early next week, things could look very different.”
This is because “conditions for development are expected to become more favorable,” the NHC said on Friday.
It is currently too early to judge whether the tropical wave will have an impact on the United States.
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“An immediate concern?”
However, “there is a likelihood that if this tropical phenomenon continues into the zone near and north of the Caribbean, it will develop into a tropical storm next week and from there move close enough to the east coast of the United States to be of immediate concern,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva.
Meteorologists urge all residents to continue to monitor the tropics and stay prepared. This advice is especially important during what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.
Active hurricane season predicted
Federal meteorologists are predicting an “unusual” season with up to 24 named storms possible, including the four that have already formed (Alberto, Beryl, Chris and Debby).
NOAA on Thursday updated its forecast for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, more than two months and four named storms after releasing its first forecast in May.
This season could be “one of the busiest ever,” NOAA announced on Thursday. Although the number of named storms has decreased slightly, the chance of an above-average season has increased to 90 percent.
Contributor: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
