The National Hurricane Center expects a new tropical depression or tropical storm to form this week in the Caribbean Sea, which could bring winds and rains to multiple regions in the coming days.
The National Hurricane Center said the system off the southeast coast of Jamaica has a 40% of developing into a depression or storm by Thursday, and an 80% chance of development over the next week. The slow-moving storm is expected to meander over the western Caribbean for several days before drifting to the north.
RELATED STORY | 6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Cuba after hurricanes and blackouts
The storm is not an immediate threat to the U.S. mainland.
As of Tuesday morning, the tropical disturbance was a disorganized cluster of showers and thunderstorms.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm is in an area conducive for development. The potential tropical storm follows Hurricane Rafael's strike to Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
The 2024 hurricane season has been more active than usual. The Atlantic basin averaged 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes annually from 1990 through 2020. This season, 17 named systems have formed, 11 becoming hurricanes. There have been five major hurricanes to develop this year.
RELATED STORY | Hurricane Rafael crosses Cuba, slows to Category 2 storm
This hurricane season has lived up to expectations. In May, National Weather Service forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center said they expected the 2024 season to have 17 to 25 tropical storms, eight to 12 hurricanes and four to seven major hurricanes.
Record sea surface temperatures and La Niña conditions fueled this year's above average hurricane season.
As ocean temperatures rise, the very definition of a "normal" season has shifted. 2024 is the ninth consecutive year with at least 14 tropical storms forming.
Although hurricane season is not over until the end of November, direct strikes to the U.S. in November are rare. The last time a hurricane came ashore in the U.S. in November was Hurricane Nicole in 2022. Before that, it was Hurricane Kate in 1985.
The next Atlantic tropical storm would given the name Sara.
