Atlantic to teem with tropical activity, concerns to arise for Caribbean, US
Budding tropical activity across the Atlantic has AccuWeather meteorologists tracking several systems, some of which could threaten the U.S. in the days ahead.
Heading into the second week of August, there are several areas forecasters are closely watching for potential tropical development.
Budding activity over the vast Atlantic hurricane basin has AccuWeather meteorologists closely watching multiple areas of interest, and some of those may pose a threat to the United States in the coming days.
There will be some tropical concerns near the U.S. coast in the next several days, but the backbone of the Atlantic hurricanes, known as the Cabo Verde season, is about to take center stage. Cabo Verde is a group of islands just west of the African coast and is an approximate starting point for tropical waves of low pressure that can evolve into long-track hurricanes.
Dexter to continue over north Atlantic
Dexter, the fourth tropical storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, will transform into a tropical rainstorm over the North Atlantic during the next several days.
As it moves to the east-northeast, it will mainly consist of drenching downpours, gusty thunderstorms and rough seas. If it holds together, it could pass close to the Azores or the United Kingdom.
Near Carolina coast tropical development risk
AccuWeather meteorologists have been monitoring a stalled front that extends from the Southeast states to waters offshore of the Carolinas. This front helped birth Dexter and could assist in the creation of another tropical storm.
Should a tropical depression or storm develop, it will track northeastward over the Atlantic Ocean.
"Even though the center of the budding storm will likely stay offshore, slow movement and proximity to the Carolina coast would still result in some downpours and wind in that region from late this week to the start of the weekend," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. "Because it will remain over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream for a couple of days, strengthening to a tropical depression or tropical storm is not unreasonable, with heavy rain and a risk of flooding along part of the immediate southern Atlantic coast a concern."
Depending on the eventual strength of the tropical concern near the coast, rough surf and choppy seas may temporarily occur. However, this will not be the long-anticipated big hurricane strike on the Northeast, but the heart of the Atlantic season is on the doorstep.
Next threat in the Gulf
A few days later, a tropical wave that started off over Africa a couple of weeks ago will drift over the northern Gulf from later this weekend to early next week.
"We have assigned a low risk of tropical development with this area of interest," DaSilva said.
Watching for long-track tropical cyclones originating from Africa
Meanwhile, thousands of miles to the southeast, the Cabo Verde tropical waves are beginning to show a bit more frequency and vigor, when compared to prior weeks.
AccuWeather meteorologists are highlighting two of these tropical waves for potential development into mid-August.
This wide view of the Atlantic with Africa on the lower right and the United States on the upper left was captured on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2025. Multiple clusters of thunderstorms can be seen marching from Africa to the central Atlantic. Dexter appears in the upper left of the center. Some thunderstorms were beginning to erupt off the Carolina coast (left). (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
"One that has been assigned a likelihood to develop from Aug. 8 to Aug. 10 is likely to turn to the north before reaching the northeastern islands of the Caribbean," DaSilva said. "A second tropical wave, a couple of days later, that we believe has a chance to develop, would take a more southerly track across the Caribbean."
The potential development time frame on that second wave is Aug. 12 to Aug. 14, and if it develops, it could impact the Caribbean as it moves along around the middle of the month and possibly Central or North America, including the U.S. shortly thereafter.
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