John McCarthy
Two tropical waves with decent chances of developing into something stronger are swirling in the Atlantic, while Hurricane Gabrielle slips to the east of Bermuda over the next few days.
As of 8 a.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center upped the chances for both waves to form into a tropical depression or storm this week.
Forecasters said the first tropical wave, which has been under watch for about a week now, has a 20% chance of strengthening into a tropical depression in the next two days and a 70% chance of formation in the next seven days.
“The newer tropical wave, placed on NHC’s map over the weekend, has a 10% chance of development in the next two days and a 40% chance within the next seven days.
Long-range models suggest both waves will follow a similar pattern to Gabrielle and most other storms this year, a northern curve away from the Caribbean and East Coast.
However, the second tropical wave could potentially form a little farther west than the first one, raising the chances that some Caribbean islands would see impacts.
Forecasters say Gabrielle, currently a Category 1 storm, will pass well east of Bermuda, leaving high waves and rough surf the main issue for the island. Those waves could reach the southeastern coast of the U.S., potentially making waters more dangerous to swim or boat in for the next few days.
As it heads north, Gabrielle is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane — the second of the season — potentially as soon as Monday evening.
By Saturday, the hurricane is expected to peter out in cooler waters.
