The number of tropical disturbances in the Atlantic increased to four early Sunday, with one wave in the Central Atlantic given a high chance development in the next few days, according to forecasters.
A tropical depression is likely to form from the Central Atlantic wave in the next 48 hours or so, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest public advisory. The wave is expected to move on a west to west-northwestward path across the central tropical Atlantic. It was located about halfway between the west coast of Africa and the Leeward Islands as of 8 a.m. Sunday, with a 90% chance of development.
Trailing that wave is another, inland over Senegal, that is expected to develop by the end of the week. That disturbance, has been given an 80% chance of development in the next five days.
A third wave, located a few hundred miles south of the Dominican Republic, has a 10% chance of developing the next five days.
An area of low pressure emerged early Sunday a few hundred miles southeast of Bermuda. It also has a low chance of development, according to the hurricane center.
If any of the systems maintain sustained winds of 39 mph, it would become the 16th named system of the 2020 hurricane season, which runs from June 1-Nov. 30. Earlier this summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its forecast predicting between 19 and 25 named storms.
This is the time of year when storms tend to form in the open Atlantic, particularly near the Cabo Verde Islands. Those storms, which grow in size and intensity as they make the long trek westward across the Atlantic Ocean, are historically the most powerful and destructive hurricanes.
There have been four other hurricanes so far this season: Hanna, Isaias, Laura, Marco and Nana.
Laura was the season’s first major hurricane, making landfall in Cameron, La., as a Category 4 on Aug. 27. Hanna, Isaias and Marco were Category 1 hurricanes that made landfall in Padre Island, Texas; Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.; and at the mouth of the Mississippi River, respectively.
Meanwhile, former Tropical Storm Omar fully dissipated in the northern Atlantic Ocean in the 2 a.m. advisory
The remaining monikers for named storms this season in the Atlantic are: Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.
In August, the federal government issued an updated forecast for the season, predicting as many as 25 storms, which is more than the agency has ever forecast. The tropical weather experts at Colorado State University predicted that 2020 could possibly be the second-busiest season on record, behind only 2005, the year that produced Katrina and Wilma.
2020, South Florida Sun-Sentinel