The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring three disturbances across the Atlantic basin as the region approaches its most active period, highlighted by a tropical wave off the coast of Africa with a growing chance of development next week. While no tropical cyclones are currently active in the Atlantic, meteorologists closely watch tropical waves emerging from Africa because they frequently serve as the building blocks for tropical storms and hurricanes moving westward across the ocean. None of the three systems currently pose a threat to the United States.
According to the hurricane center's 2 p.m. ET Saturday outlook, the systems under surveillance include: The increased monitoring arrives just weeks before the traditional peak of the Atlantic hurricane season on September 10. Late August through October is historically the most active period for tropical development, driven by peak ocean temperatures and conducive atmospheric conditions.
Meanwhile, the Pacific has been considerably more active. Earlier this week, Hurricane Lala battered Hawaii with destructive flooding, damaging winds and widespread power outages while Tropical Storm Moke is forecast to bring another round of heavy rain, flooding concerns and dangerous surf to Hawaii this weekend. Driven largely by an active El Niño phase, the Pacific basin has benefited from lower vertical wind shear and elevated sea surface temperatures that foster robust storm formation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Meanwhile, that same El Niño pattern has contributed to a more subdued, slower start in the Atlantic by enhancing upper-level wind shear and keeping overall conditions less favorable. The contrast highlights the historical variability of tropical activity across different basins, even as Atlantic forecasters prepare for a potential shift in momentum. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Steve Mollman and Anthony Murray.
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