Potential tropical development brewing near Bahamas could impact southeast coast

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 1 minute read

Forecasters keep an eye on potential tropical developments in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

The National Hurricane Center is tracking two potential tropical disturbances, one in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Gulf of Mexico, that could impact the weather here in the United States.

National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters this week flagged a new area to watch for potential tropical development in the southwest Atlantic near the Bahamas.

An area of low pressure is expected to form by mid-week a few hundred kilometers northeast of the central Bahamas. According to the NHC, environmental conditions may be conducive to some development of this system later as it moves westward or west-northwestward, bringing it in the general direction of the coast. southeastern United States.

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The chances of development over the next seven days are currently low. However, regardless of the development, the FOX Forecast Center said the huge ridge of high pressure fueling a heat wave over the eastern United States will help steer this system toward the coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina by mid to end of the week.

“The ridge of high pressure will actually help steer this system westward, so it will track further inland,” said FOX weather meteorologist Kendall Smith. “So we could be talking about heavy rain coming from the Carolinas down to Florida as we look ahead to the work week ahead.”

The threat of heavy rain could begin as early as Wednesday in Florida and spread northward along the Southeast coast by Thursday.

Competing with Gulf of Mexico Disturbances to Become “Alberto”

The NHC also monitors tropical development in the southwest Gulf of Mexico. This disturbance is expected to cause heavy rain that could flood parts of Texas this week.

If the Gulf and southwest Atlantic systems were both to develop into tropical storms, the first to reach winds of 40 mph would be named Alberto and the second would be named Beryl.

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On average, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season forms around June 20, so we would be on track with the average if Alberto developed later this week.