While neither of these storms proved noteworthy for the United States, there is a strong tropical wave entering the Eastern Caribbean that people should take note of.
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AS Invest 99L continues to move toward the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center continues to search for a defined, centralized area of low pressure.
It remains poorly organized as upper-level winds are only marginally conducive for any development.
Meanwhile, the central Atlantic saw hurricane Gaston quickly develop late on Wednesday before it was downgraded to a tropical storm. It’s expected to emerge into the Gulf of Mexico early next week and has a 60 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression by midweek.
A scheduled Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance flight into the system for Friday had been cancelled.
Weather officials continue to give a tropical wave near Cuba a favorable chance of developing into a stronger system, but many computer models now steer it into the Gulf of Mexico.
Whether or not it becomes a tropical cyclone, the moisture associated with it is headed our way and will likely impact our weather this weekend with the potential for heavy rain and gusty winds.
For the next couple of days, as this system tracks toward the northwest, near Cuba, it will continue to struggle to become more organize.
“Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles [35 km] from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles [150 km]”. The forecast track keeps it over open water through the next five days.
A turn toward the west-northwest is expected Friday night; then Gaston is expected to jog toward the north-northeast. That makes it likely that it won’t strengthen much through the start of the weekend.
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Now the disturbance is expected to bring an increased risk of rip currents, high seas and heavy rain, according to First Coast News.
