Forecasters are watching a tropical wave off Africa that has the potential to strengthen once it reaches the Caribbean next week. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lorenzo has dissipated over the central Atlantic.
The tropical wave, which is currently south of the Cabo Verde islands, should cross the Atlantic and enter the Caribbean early next week, where it could develop.
Warm water temperatures in the Caribbean and lack of wind shear in the area could bring prime conditions for increased tropical activity.
“Wind shear in the Caribbean has been running historically low through the heart of the season — consistent with a budding La Niña in the eastern equatorial Pacific,” wrote WPLG-TV meteorologist Michael Lowry in his Eye on the Tropics blog. “Since September, wind shear across the Caribbean has been the third lowest since 1979.”
“A number of the long-range computer models show the system strengthening in the Caribbean next week,” said Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross in his Hurricane Intel blog.
Once in the Caribbean, it’s unclear what the system might do.
“The weather pattern late next week could pull the storm north towards the Bahamas and the United States. However, it could also continue moving west across the abnormally warm Caribbean,” according to AccuWeather.
The next named storm would be Melissa.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, remnants of Lorenzo had weakened.
Four hurricanes have formed so far in the Atlantic season, and none has hit the U.S. Of the 12 named Atlantic storms so far, only Tropical Storm Chantal has made a U.S. landfall.
Hurricane season runs from through Nov. 30.
