ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The tropics are waking up! After a little more than a two-week slumber, an area of disturbed weather in the central Atlantic basin is worth watching.
As of Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center highlighted this area with a 50% chance of development over the next seven days.
This area of disturbed weather will interact with a tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa that could lead to development by the early to middle part of this week. Based on current trends, this disturbance will move west-northwest toward the Lesser and Greater Antilles.
NHC says environmental conditions are forecast to become conducive for some development in a day or two and a tropical depression could form around midweek while the system is near those areas.
A Bermuda high positioned in the north-central Atlantic basin will partially influence the steering pattern.
With an increase of Saharan dust in the atmosphere, tropical cyclone development has been inhibited in recent weeks. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl, which brought a record-breaking start to the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, dissipated as a post-tropical low on July 11.
Tropical Storm Chris dissipated on July 1.
The next name on the list for the 2024 Atlantic season is Debby.
