Trio of storm systems brewing in Atlantic; one may become a tropical depression

Activity is heating up in the tropics with three storm systems brewing in the Atlantic Ocean, one of which is likely to become a tropical depression this week, forecasters said.

The system expected to become a depression is forecast to move through the Atlantic then across the southeastern Caribbean Sea Wednesday through Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system later Monday.

NHC forecasters have given it an 70% chance of developing in the next five days and a 90% chance in the next two days.

Regardless of its development, it is forecast to bring heavy rain to the far southeastern Caribbean and the northeastern coast of Venezuela late Tuesday into Wednesday.

Forecasters said this weekend that the system doesn’t currently pose a threat to South Florida.

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. Some slow development is possible this week as it moves west-southwest, at about 10 mph, toward the coasts of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, 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 to parts of the 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.

Meanwhile, a tropical disturbance has emerged in the far eastern Atlantic off Africa’s coast. Forecasters said Monday that it could develop as it moves west-northwest over the central Atlantic this week.

It has been given a low chance of developing over the next five days.

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.