New Area of Potential Tropical Weather Coming Together in the Atlantic

The U.S. is finally on the road to recovery after tropical weather maker Debby hung around the eastern part of the country for nearly a week. While there will be a short time to take a breath, forecasters are warning that more trouble may be lurking in the Atlantic. Here is the latest on what meteorologists are monitoring in the Atlantic basin in the near future.

Tropical Atlantic Showing More Signs of Activity

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is currently monitoring an area of concern in the south-central Atlantic basin. Forecasters are becoming increasingly confident that this ripple will begin to take on tropical characteristics in the coming days, evolving into the next named feature of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. There is also growing concern that the features could take aim at the East Coast of the U.S.

The weather event in question came off of the coast of Africa as a standard tropical wave over the last few days. The current forecast models indicate that the feature is unlikely to intensify into a tropical depression through the weekend. But that could also change heading into the beginning of the new week when the system makes its approach toward the Leeward Islands.

A lack of disruptive wind shear in this part of the basin will mean that the system has plenty of time to organize. The presence of prohibitive dry and dusty air is also beginning to decrease, increasing the chances of tropical formation even further.

The latest forecast indicates that steering breezes will send the feature farther to the northwest when compared to prior features earlier in the year. This path could mean that the East Coast of the U.S. may be in the crosshairs of the storm if it survives the trip across the Caribbean. Should this feature take on defined tropical characteristics, it would go by the name of Ernesto.