NHC tracking tropical wave with 70% chance of development

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Hurricane Center is tracking a tropical wave with a 70 percent chance of development in the Atlantic.

The NHC said showers and thunderstorms continued to show signs of organization located several hundred miles southwest of Cape Verde on Monday.

The system is expected to become a tropical depression in two or three days. Later this week, the system is likely to continue to strengthen as it moves westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph over the central and western portions of the tropical Atlantic.

The system has a 70 percent chance of formation over the next two days and a 90 percent chance of formation over the next seven days.

Most models show it strengthening into a hurricane as it moves toward the Caribbean islands in the 10- to 14-day timeline.

If it were to be upgraded to a named storm, the next on the list for this year is Lee.

Meteorologists are also tracking a tropical wave that is forecast to move off the African coast in a couple of days. The NHC said the tropical wave could slowly develop starting midweek as it moves west-northwest at about 15 mph over the far eastern tropical Atlantic.

It has a 30 percent chance of formation over the next seven days.

It has already been a busy storm season for the Atlantic, and there are still months left in the hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.

Some Florida communities are still reeling from Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm last week on the state’s west coast. Idalia, which was a Category 4 at peak strength, is the strongest storm of 2023 so far.