Tropical threat building in Atlantic: Multiple areas may develop starting this week
AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking several potential trouble spots, including a system near the Carolinas, a tropical wave in the central Atlantic, and a zone stretching from the western Caribbean to the Gulf of Mexico.
AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva was live on the AccuWeather Network on Sept. 15 to discuss the latest on the tropics.
Several areas in the Atlantic basin are being monitored for potential tropical development, including what could become the next named storm, AccuWeather meteorologists say. These areas include a developing storm near the Carolina coast, a cluster of thunderstorms in the central Atlantic and a broad zone extending from the western Caribbean to the Gulf.
A compact but vigorous storm has been developing near the coast of North Carolina since Sunday. However, it likely has only a brief window to organize before moving onshore on Tuesday or Tuesday night.
Even if the system does not become a tropical storm, it will still bring locally heavy rainfall and gusty thunderstorms to eastern and central North Carolina, southeastern and central Virginia, eastern Maryland and Delaware. Rain will expand northward for a time into midweek, before the storm turns out to sea.
This image of Atlantic waters near the United States Atlantic Coast was captured on Monday morning, Sept. 15, 2025. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
The storm is currently over the warm Gulf Stream waters offshore, which favors development. However, upwelling has cooled the waters near the mid-Atlantic coast. Combative winds (wind shear) are currently strong in the region. The chilly water right near the coast and wind shear will work against full tropical development.
The storm will add to rough surf along parts of the mid-Atlantic region.
Coastal flooding is anticipated from North Carolina to New Jersey due to persistent northeast winds pushing water toward the coast and into the back bays.
The system will also provide beneficial rainfall to a small part of the drought-affected eastern United States.
Thousands of miles to the southeast, over the central Atlantic, a large tropical wave is drifting westward. AccuWeather meteorologists have been tracking this wave for well over a week, since it was still over Africa. Currently, this loosely packed area of showers and thunderstorms is about halfway between Africa and the eastern islands of the Caribbean.
"The tropical wave moving through the central Atlantic is encountering some dry air, but it will soon move into an environment with low wind shear and increased mid-level moisture, which could assist with development," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.
This area has been assigned a high risk of tropical development for this week.
This wide view of the tropical Atlantic shows several clusters of thunderstorms on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. One area over the central Atlantic (lower left) has the greatest chance of evolving into a tropical depression and storm in the coming days. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
"This wave could become the next tropical depression or even the next named tropical storm in the Atlantic," DaSilva said. "If this wave develops into a storm, steering currents would guide it mainly north of the Caribbean and away from the U.S."
Later this month, the system could approach Bermuda, but confidence in that track remains low until a storm fully develops.
"Another tropical wave pushing off Africa could start organizing as early as this weekend," DaSilva said.
The next two names on the list of tropical storms for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season are Gabrielle and Humberto.
AccuWeather meteorologists continue to closely monitor the zone from the western Caribbean to the Gulf.
Any development in this area could quickly escalate and threaten land areas from Central America to the United States, with limited time to prepare due to the proximity of the coast.
This zone may become increasingly favorable for development during the second half of the month, especially in the final week.
Water temperatures in the region remain well into the 80s to near 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which supports tropical development. Any uptick in moisture combined with low wind shear could be enough to initiate tropical development.
Until the next named storm forms in the Atlantic, the historic midseason lull remains unbroken.
The Atlantic has not experienced such a lack of named storms during the peak of hurricane season since 1992, the year Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida.
*Since 1950.
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