ORLANDO, Fla. – On the heels of the Tropical Storm Alberto, no new tropical development is expected over the next seven days. Over the next week, Saharan dust will rule the roost of the tropical Atlantic.
Climatologically, this is when we typically see the dust peak across the tropical Atlantic. The dust will continue to move through the Caribbean Islands into the upcoming weekend.
Some of the dust could arrive in Florida over the weekend.
Embedded in the dust are a couple of juicy tropical waves. One likely will impact the Windward Islands. The wave should remain weak as it moves through the eastern Caribbean. Wind shear in this region is also on the stronger side which will prevent significant development. There may be a small window for development of this tropical wave once it gets away from the dust in the western Caribbean.
Another tropical wave is currently emerging off the African coastline. A few models have suggested some development prior to the Lesser Antilles to start July.
Still, development is far from a slam dunk with Saharan dust lurking just north of the tropical waves.
The next named storm of the 2024 hurricane season is Beryl.