Hurricane center keeps track of 1 Gulf-bound, 2 Atlantic systems

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Friday continued to keep tabs on three systems with a chance to form into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

As of the NHC’s 2 p.m. Eastern time tropical outlook, the most likely would come from a system expected to form in the western Caribbean and move into the Gulf of Mexico.

The broad area of low pressure could form by the early to middle part of next week over the far northwestern Caribbean Sea.

“Thereafter, gradual development of this system is possible, and a tropical depression could form as the system moves slowly to the north ornorthwest over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and into the southern Gulf of Mexico through the end of next week,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 50% chance of development in the next seven days.

The NHC was also tracking two systems in the Atlantic.

One is an area of low pressure associated with remnants of what had been Tropical Storm Gordon that continued to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms sheared away from the low’s center by upper-level winds located more than 1,000 miles southwest of the Azores.

“Significant development of this system is not expected while it meanders over the central subtropical Atlantic during the next couple of days,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 10% chance to develop in the next two days and 10% in the next seven.

Farther east in the central and western subtropical Atlantic was another area of low pressure about 650 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands with some shower activity.

“Environmental conditions do not appear conducive for significant development of this system during the next couple of days while it drifts northwestward at about 5 mph over the central or western subtropical Atlantic,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 10% chance to develop in the next two days and 10% in the next seven.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has produced seven named storms with Helene next on the list.

Forecasters at Colorado State University, that have been putting together two-week outlooks this season, expect more activity at the end of the month.

Hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30, but the height of storm production runs from mid-August into October.

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