MIAMI — Forecasters are tracking a tropical wave that emerged off Africa today as a previous wave near Barbados was downgraded.
The strong tropical wave located over the far east Atlantic off the African coast is producing a broad area of showers and thunderstorms.
As the system moves west-northwestward into the central Atlantic Ocean, conditions appear only marginally conducive for development due to relatively cool ocean temperatures, and, with a 40 percent chance of development over the next five days, a small tropical depression could form by early next week.
The wave that had been moving west toward the Windward Islands, which form the southeastern boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, since it emerged early Monday was downgraded to a trough at the National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. update on Thursday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a busy hurricane season this year, estimating between 13 and 20 named storms.
Late last week, Tropical Storm Claudette formed over the Gulf of Mexico and pummeled the U.S. Gulf Coast. Alabama reported 13 deaths, By late Sunday it was causing flooding in the Carolinas before it dissipated off the U.S. East Coast.
Claudette was preceded by Tropical Storm Bill in early June and Tropical Storm Ana in May.
The next named storm to form would be Danny.
