The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) is closely monitoring two weather disturbances with a high chance of formation in the Northwestern Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern and Central Tropical Atlantic.
According to the NHC’s 8 am update, showers and thunderstorms associated with the disturbance AL97 are gradually becoming better organized in the broad area of low pressure located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea.
Environmental conditions seem favorable for further development of this system. It is likely that a tropical depression or storm will form within the next day or two as the system moves northward across the northwestern Caribbean Sea and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, where additional development is expected.
Regardless of development, heavy rains are expected over portions of Central America during the next several days.
The NHC has advised interests in the northwestern Caribbean, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and western Cuba to closely monitor the progress of this system, as watches or warnings will likely be required later this morning for portions of these areas.
Another area under watch is a tropical disturbance near the west coast of Africa, according to the NHC.
The NHC says the disturbance is expected to continue moving westward over the next several days. Environmental conditions could support some gradual development of the system, and a tropical depression could form during the middle to end of this week in the central or eastern tropical Atlantic.
The NHC is giving the system a high chance of development, but the best chance of tropical development this week remains in the Invest 97L in Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
