Tropical Storm Dorian

Dorian Forms in the Tropical Atlantic

Tropical Storm Dorian has formed late this morning in the eastern Atlantic. Recent satellite imagery shows a well organized cluster of thunderstorms around the center of circulation and a well-defined outflow in the upper levels of the atmosphere.

Although this has developed into an organized tropical system, it will have to fight adverse environmental conditions as it heads westward across the Atlantic. A large area of dry, dusty air sits to the west of this system which will help to inhibit thunderstorm development over the next few days. Dorian will traverse cooler waters and experience an increase in wind shear, which will both help to limit further intensification into the latter part of the week.

Computer forecasts take this feature west-northwest to near the Leeward Islands on Saturday night and Sunday. Due to the factors discussed above, it is quite possible that by the time this system reaches the Leeward Islands, it will have intensified very little and will still be a weak tropical storm.
The rest of the Atlantic is relatively quiet with a weak tropical wave along 75 west. This wave is not expected to develop over the next few days.