Atlantic Tropical Disturbance May Become Next Named Storm

TAMPA BAY, FL — Residents who live along the Eastern Seaboard might want to keep an eye on the weather as the week progresses. A tropical disturbance located about 500 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands has been given a “high” chance of developing further over the next few days.

According to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center, the system is a large area of cloudiness and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave. It is gradually becoming better organized, forecasters wrote in their Tuesday morning Tropical Weather Outlook report.

“Conditions appear to be favorable for a tropical depression to form during the next couple days,” the report said. The storm, which has been given an 80 percent chance of further development over the next five days, is moving west-northwest.

The storm’s appearance off the coast of Africa came on the heels of revised predictions for the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Forecasters at NOAA say there’s a 70 percent chance of 12 to 17 named storms forming this year with two to four major hurricanes possible this season, which ends on Nov. 30.

The initial outlook called for 10 to 16 named storms, four to eight hurricanes, and one to four major hurricanes. The seasonal averages are 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

The season so far has given rise to five named storms, most recently Hurricane Earl. Should this latest storm develop enough to earn a name, it will be called Fiona.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation, read these related Patch stories:

• 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 the National Hurricane Center’s website and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

Image courtesy of the National Hurricane Center