As the Atlantic hurricane season moves into its midway point, prognosticators with AccuWeather are carefully watching a series of events that could create a trio of storms next week that may affect the United States, Central America and the Caribbean islands.
“We may have as many as three named tropical systems in the Atlantic at the same time next week,” according to AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski.
September is the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season and indications are that will be true to form with the potential for additional systems to form over the next couple of weeks.
Florence reached hurricane status on Tuesday and became the first major hurricane of the 2018 season on Wednesday morning.
While Florence is forecast to fluctuate in strength, most scenarios bring the system close enough to the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and Canada to pester fishing, shipping and coastal interests with rough seas and surf starting this weekend.
Indications are that two to three new tropical systems may bud and develop in the eastern and central Atlantic this weekend into next week.
“It is possible that at least one of these features will wander close to the Lesser Antilles during Tuesday or Wednesday of next week,” Kottlowski said. “At the same time, Florence may be hitting Bermuda.”
Another disturbance is forecast to push westward, off the coast of Africa next week.
“That may become a tropical storm or hurricane,” Kottlowski said.
There is also the potential for a tropical system to arise in the swath from the western Caribbean to the central and western Gulf of Mexico next week. Steering winds may guide any such system near portions of Central America, southeastern Mexico and perhaps the Texas coast.