ORLANDO, Fla. – What has been perceived as a quiet start to the 2024 hurricane season is now showing signs of becoming more active.
To date, no named storms have formed in the Atlantic basin, a major difference from seasons in recent memory.
Typically, however, the first named storm forms around June 20. Early season activity, or lack thereof, is no indication of how the remainder of the season will play out.
The National Hurricane Center on Monday designated a disturbance in the southwest Gulf of Mexico as Potential Tropical Cyclone One. This means that the system is not meteorologically tropical but is expected to become a tropical storm and impact land shortly.
The storm is expected to become a tropical and make landfall in eastern Mexico. Heavy rain is expected to extend into Texas and Louisiana.
A second disturbance is expected to develop east of Florida and north of the Bahamas.
This is being born of non-tropical origins, off of a dying cold front that is now east of Bermuda.
With a strong area of high pressure anchored over New England, this system will be forced back west toward Florida or the southeast U.S. This will likely be a sloppy, hybrid storm which should cap the intensity of the storm. Still, rain chances will go up for parts of the southeast coast for the weekend.
A secondary system could develop in the southwest Gulf of Mexico behind Potential Tropical Cyclone One. This is the yellow area highlighted on the map above near where the disturbance designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone One is as of Tuesday morning.
It’s too early to tell where the system could track but at this time, it appears as if it will favor the north or west Gulf Coast.
The first name of the 2024 hurricane season is Alberto. Hurricane season runs through November.