Meteorologists keeping close eye on Atlantic for more tropical activity
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Aug 28, 2020 4:36 PM EDT
The Atlantic hurricane season is off to a torrid, record-setting pace, and the statistical peak of the season is just under two weeks away. With the landfall of one major hurricane (Category 3 strength or higher) already recorded in the United States, as well as numerous other tropical systems that have lashed areas from southern Texas to New England, forecasters expect much more to come once September begins.
While there is a chance that Laura may redevelop into a tropical storm before reaching the cool waters along the coast of Atlantic Canada this weekend, meteorologists are watching two new areas in the Atlantic for development just north of the equator.
Away from Laura, tropical development is not expected over the Atlantic basin through Sunday. However, since this is prime time for the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes, it is unlikely quiet conditions will last long.
This image, captured on Friday, August 28, 2020, shows the tropical Atlantic void of organized systems. However, clusters of thunderstorms emerging from Africa, indicative of tropical waves (disturbances) are being monitored for development. (NOAA/GOES-East)
A tropical wave (disturbance) west of the Cabo Verde Islands on Saturday will move west and reach the Lesser Antilles Sunday night and Monday.
"There is a low chance this wave could become an organized tropical system as it moves into the eastern Caribbean early next week," AccuWeather's top hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Regardless of tropical development, an uptick in downpours and gusty thunderstorms is likely to spread westward over the Leeward Islands during the first part of next week.
Another tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on Friday is forecast to move west, slow down and perhaps stall just southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands during early next week.
"This newest system has a low to medium chance to organize into a tropical feature during the middle or latter part of next week," Kottlowski said.
At this time, the National Hurricane Center has given the disturbance closest to the Caribbean a 30 percent chance for development and the newest disturbance a 40 percent chance.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
September is typically the busiest month for tropical storm development, and the peak date for tropical activity is usually around Sept. 10. Over the past 100 years on this date, there have been more than 90 active named storms.
The 2020 season has already brought 13 named storms, which is not only well ahead of the average pace, but also in record territory, even surpassing the infamous 2005 season. The year 2005 brought Katrina, Rita and Wilma. This year, Cristobal and all the storms from Edouard through Marco set early-season formation records for their respective letters.
Thus far, Laura has had the most devastating impact on the United States and also left more than 20 dead in the Caribbean as it unleashed heavy flooding rain in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Tropical storms are generally named for each letter of the alphabet, except for the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z. Once all of the letters are used, then letters of the Greek alphabet are used and that has only happened once before, in 2005.
The next names on the list for 2020 are Nana and Omar. With development chances for these two storms currently at less than 50 percent, the string of early-season formation records could be disrupted, and 2005 may stay in the books for the "N" and "O" storms. Nate holds the early-formation record for the "N" storms on Sept. 5, 2005, and Ophelia holds the early-formation record for the "O" storms on Sept. 7, 2005.
There appears to be no serious tropical threat to the North America mainland during the first week of September, but the lull is not likely to last long with a bumper crop of storms expected through the end of the season that concludes at the end of November.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect this season to finish just behind the 2005 season with 20-24 named systems. The 2005 season had 26 named storms.
There have been seven named systems that have made landfall in the continental United States this year, a record amount to have occurred by the end of August. This record was set when Laura made landfall on Aug. 27, breaking the previous marks set in 1886 and 1916 with six through the end of August, according to Colorado State University Meteorologist Phil Klotzbach. In addition to Laura, Marco, Isaias, Hanna, Fay, Cristobal and Bertha all made landfall.
Additional landfalls are likely in the U.S. prior to the end of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
Meteorologists keeping close eye on Atlantic for more tropical activity
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Aug 28, 2020 4:36 PM EDT
The Atlantic hurricane season is off to a torrid, record-setting pace, and the statistical peak of the season is just under two weeks away. With the landfall of one major hurricane (Category 3 strength or higher) already recorded in the United States, as well as numerous other tropical systems that have lashed areas from southern Texas to New England, forecasters expect much more to come once September begins.
While there is a chance that Laura may redevelop into a tropical storm before reaching the cool waters along the coast of Atlantic Canada this weekend, meteorologists are watching two new areas in the Atlantic for development just north of the equator.
Away from Laura, tropical development is not expected over the Atlantic basin through Sunday. However, since this is prime time for the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes, it is unlikely quiet conditions will last long.
This image, captured on Friday, August 28, 2020, shows the tropical Atlantic void of organized systems. However, clusters of thunderstorms emerging from Africa, indicative of tropical waves (disturbances) are being monitored for development. (NOAA/GOES-East)
A tropical wave (disturbance) west of the Cabo Verde Islands on Saturday will move west and reach the Lesser Antilles Sunday night and Monday.
"There is a low chance this wave could become an organized tropical system as it moves into the eastern Caribbean early next week," AccuWeather's top hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Regardless of tropical development, an uptick in downpours and gusty thunderstorms is likely to spread westward over the Leeward Islands during the first part of next week.
Another tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on Friday is forecast to move west, slow down and perhaps stall just southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands during early next week.
"This newest system has a low to medium chance to organize into a tropical feature during the middle or latter part of next week," Kottlowski said.
(Image/AccuWeather)
At this time, the National Hurricane Center has given the disturbance closest to the Caribbean a 30 percent chance for development and the newest disturbance a 40 percent chance.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
September is typically the busiest month for tropical storm development, and the peak date for tropical activity is usually around Sept. 10. Over the past 100 years on this date, there have been more than 90 active named storms.
Related:
The 2020 season has already brought 13 named storms, which is not only well ahead of the average pace, but also in record territory, even surpassing the infamous 2005 season. The year 2005 brought Katrina, Rita and Wilma. This year, Cristobal and all the storms from Edouard through Marco set early-season formation records for their respective letters.
Thus far, Laura has had the most devastating impact on the United States and also left more than 20 dead in the Caribbean as it unleashed heavy flooding rain in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Tropical storms are generally named for each letter of the alphabet, except for the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z. Once all of the letters are used, then letters of the Greek alphabet are used and that has only happened once before, in 2005.
The next names on the list for 2020 are Nana and Omar. With development chances for these two storms currently at less than 50 percent, the string of early-season formation records could be disrupted, and 2005 may stay in the books for the "N" and "O" storms. Nate holds the early-formation record for the "N" storms on Sept. 5, 2005, and Ophelia holds the early-formation record for the "O" storms on Sept. 7, 2005.
There appears to be no serious tropical threat to the North America mainland during the first week of September, but the lull is not likely to last long with a bumper crop of storms expected through the end of the season that concludes at the end of November.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect this season to finish just behind the 2005 season with 20-24 named systems. The 2005 season had 26 named storms.
There have been seven named systems that have made landfall in the continental United States this year, a record amount to have occurred by the end of August. This record was set when Laura made landfall on Aug. 27, breaking the previous marks set in 1886 and 1916 with six through the end of August, according to Colorado State University Meteorologist Phil Klotzbach. In addition to Laura, Marco, Isaias, Hanna, Fay, Cristobal and Bertha all made landfall.
Additional landfalls are likely in the U.S. prior to the end of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo