BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH Hurricane Erin now well past the Leeward Islands, the region remains on alert for the potential development of another system as the Atlantic hurricane season moves into its peak.
Hurricane Erin, a powerful Category Five storm, stayed out over the Atlantic Ocean but passed close enough to St. Kitts and Nevis and neighboring islands to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds.
Even as Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic, forecasters are now monitoring another disturbance that could threaten the region.
In its outlook today (Aug. 19), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that a tropical wave over the central Atlantic is producing a broad area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions appear favorable for gradual development, and a tropical depression could form toward the end of the week or this weekend.
The NHC said the system has a 60 percent chance of development over the next several days as it tracks westward to west-northwestward at about 20 mph, potentially reaching the vicinity of the Leeward Islands by Friday.
Meanwhile, meteorologists are also keeping an eye on another system behind it.
A tropical wave located a few hundred miles southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands is generating a concentrated area of showers and thunderstorms. Conditions appear generally favorable for some development over the next couple of days as the system moves westward at around 15 mph. However, by the end of the week, it could encounter less favorable conditions, reducing its chances for further strengthening.
The NHC currently gives this disturbance a 30 percent chance of formation.
