2 Disturbances Heat Up Tropics

SARASOTA, FL — Mother Nature seems determined to demonstrate just why September is considered the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center just took the remains of Hermine offer their radars earlier this week and now they’re tracking not one, but two disturbances in the Atlantic Ocean.

The first disturbance began making waves in Wednesday’s Tropical Weather Outlook report. As of Thursday afternoon, the “large but disorganized area of disturbed” weather was located roughly 600 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The tropical wave was moving westward as of 2 p.m. Thursday.

Development of the system isn’t expected over the next few days, but forecasters say that may change next week. “A tropical depression could form in the open central Atlantic while the system moves northwestward,” the report said.

As of Thursday afternoon, forecasters were giving the storm a 60 percent chance of further development over the next five days. Just what track it will take once it nears Hispaniola remains unclear. It’s also too soon to tell what, if any, impact the system might have on Florida.

Meanwhile, a second disturbance has cropped up in the Atlantic. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, that system was located about 275 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. Conditions are not favorable for development of this storm over the next five days, forecasters say. They’ve only given it a 20 percent chance of developing. Should the storm defy the odds, its current anticipated track would take it far away from Florida’s coastline.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season peaks each year between mid-August and mid-October. While the season technically runs June 1 through Nov. 30, many of the major storms on record have occurred during the traditional eight-week peak.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation in the Tampa Bay area, read these related Patch stories:

• Atlantic Hurricane Season 2016's Peak is Now
• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season develops, bookmark theNational Hurricane Center’s website and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

Image courtesy of the National Hurricane Center