Two storm systems brewing in Atlantic; one is expected to become tropical depression

A tropical depression is likely to form this week from a tropical wave making its way across the Atlantic Ocean toward the southeastern Caribbean Sea, forecasters said Sunday.

The system is forecast to head west at roughly 50 mph over the Atlantic, moving across the southeastern Caribbean on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

NHC forecasters Sunday evening have given it an 80% chance of developing in the next five days and a 60% chance in the next two days, up from the 70% and 40% chance estimate from Sunday afternoon.

Forecasters said this weekend that it was becoming a better organized system, but doesn’t pose a threat to South Florida at this time.

The NHC is also watching another disturbance, in the northern Gulf of Mexico, located closer to northwestern Florida.

That low pressure system was producing rain and thunderstorms early Sunday and was expected to head west or southwest toward Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It has been given it a 20% chance of developing in the next five days and a 10% chance of developing in the next two days.

Regardless of development, it is expected to bring rain across the U.S. Gulf Coast this week.

“An influx of tropical moisture, streaming up from the Gulf of Mexico... [will lead] to downpours from Texas to the Florida Panhandle,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.

Less than two inches of rain is in the forecast for the region, The Weather Channel reported.

It is expected to be an above-average hurricane season.

Tropical Storm Alex, the Atlantic’s first named storm of 2022, developed on June 5 and dissipated over the Atlantic Ocean about 48 hours later.

Colorado State University’s hurricane season outlook, released in early June, forecasted 20 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes.

The next named storm to form in the Atlantic would be called Bonnie.

COURTESY A tropical depression is likely to form this week from a tropical wave making its way across the Atlantic toward the southeastern Caribbean, forecasters said Sunday. Another potential system is brewing along the U.S. Gulf Coast.