The tropics are expected to remain active this week in the Atlantic, with Hurricane Beryl headed for the Caribbean and another tropical disturbance being monitored for development several hundred miles behind it.
Tropical Depression Chris is also lingering over eastern Mexico after making landfall as a tropical storm late Sunday night.
Now forecasters say another tropical depression or tropical storm could form in a matter of days.
Invest 96L in central tropical Atlantic
Showers and thunderstorms continue in association with an area of low pressure located nearly halfway between Africa and the southeastern Caribbean islands.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has dubbed this system Invest 96L, which is simply a naming convention used by the NHC to identify areas it is investigating for possible development within the next several days.
Environmental conditions appear marginally conducive for additional development of this system, and the NHC said a tropical depression could form by the middle of this week.
Forecasters have given Invest 96L a low chance of development in the next two days and a medium chance in the next week.
The system is moving westward at 15-20 mph and could eventually threaten portions of the Lesser Antilles.
“On the current schedule, (the system) would impact the eastern Caribbean islands about Wednesday,” FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross said. “Because the disturbance is still disorganized, the strength of the system at that time is unknowable.”
If Invest 96L becomes a tropical storm, the storm will receive the name Debby.
Atlantic Basin climatology
The 2024 hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin is ahead of schedule compared to a typical year.
According to NHC historical data, the fourth named storm typically forms by Aug. 15 and the second hurricane forms by Aug. 26.
During an average season, 14 named storms form, with seven that strengthen into hurricanes.
The Atlantic hurricane season spans approximately 26 weeks and lasts through Nov. 30.