Watching a Pair of Tropical Waves

Atlantic Hurricane & Tropical Storm Center

 

Although the Atlantic Basin remains devoid of tropical systems at this time, that may change in the near future with a strong tropical wave and low pressure area moving off the west coast of Africa. We are also monitoring a weaker tropical wave around 800 miles east of the Lesser Antilles at this time.

Satellite imagery shows a tropical wave around 800 miles east of the Lesser Antilles that is tracking off to the west. This tropical wave has a small area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms associated with it that are not wrapped about the low-level center as most of the thunderstorms are to the north of the center of the weak low pressure area. Further organization and development of this tropical wave seems unlikely as it will move westward into a zone of higher wind shear.

A more robust tropical wave and low pressure center is just emerging off the west coast of Africa into the far eastern Atlantic as of Friday morning. As it track off to the west and northwest, it will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall to the Cape Verde Islands by Saturday and Saturday night. Once the system passes by the islands, it should be passing through a zone that is conducive for tropical development and the system could be a tropical depression or tropical storm by the end of the weekend.

Beyond Sunday, the system may take more of a northwesterly turn into a zone of higher wind shear so there is still a great degree of uncertainty about how developed or intense this potential tropical system could become.

Elsewhere across the Atlantic Basin, we are not expecting any tropical development over the next 24 to 48 hours.