Hurricane forecasters tracking what could become Tropical Storm Debby

After a three-week lull in activity, the tropical Atlantic Ocean is showing signs of coming alive , forecasters from the National Hurricane Center warned Monday.

An area of disturbed weather has formed in the central Atlantic Ocean, and forecasters said "a tropical depression could form later this week while the system is in the vicinity of the Greater Antilles or the Bahamas."

If its winds reach 39 mph, the system would receive the name Tropical Storm Debby, and it would be the fourth named storm of what's predicted to be an extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season .

Storm activity ramps up in August

August is typically "go" time for hurricanes in the Atlantic. "We are approaching the point of the season (August) where we tend to see more (tropical waves) take hold and organize into tropical depressions, storms and even hurricanes under the right conditions," AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said.

Jill Trepanier, an associate professor at Louisiana State University , told USA TODAY that "the August-September zone of the Atlantic season is the most active period. We're kind of moving into that space where it's most likely, out of the entire time, for us to see more of them develop."

Overall, A​ugust, September and October are usually considered the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, according to Weather.com. This is because water temperatures are often at their warmest, wind shear is at its lowest and humidity has increased across the basin, all of which contribute to hurricane formation.

Where will 'Debby' go? Could it hit the U.S.?

It's still early to try to determine what impact the tropical wave might have on the United States. The computer models that meteorologists use to forecast hurricane strength and intensity do not agree on the system's future.

"If a system does form midweek, there are an array of possibilities from a blob of moisture to a potential threat," said FOX Weather hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross in his Hurricane Intel column. "Possible paths range from east of Florida to a track into the Gulf of Mexico to dying over the mountainous islands. Obviously, there are a number of steps to watch for with this system."

Forecasters at the National Weather Service Melbourne (Florida) office said there is a still a lot of uncertainty yet over the system that's still far out to sea. Their best advice is to watch it closely over the week and have your emergency supplies and plan ready. Potential time for impact if the system hits Florida could be as early as late Saturday but could be early next week if it slows down.

Beryl was a deadly, explosive start to season

The current system in the Atlantic comes after a lull in tropical activity in the Atlantic. The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season began with an explosive start when Beryl made landfall on Grenada on July 1 as a Category 4 hurricane before it weakened to a Category 1 and slammed the Texas coast the following week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Beryl killed dozens of people and left millions powerless, mainly in Texas. It also fueled a ferocious tornado outbreak across several states.

Latest hurricane predictions: Forecasters raise hurricane season prediction after record-breaking Beryl

In May, NOAA predicted an 85% chance of an above-normal season. The agency forecast 17 to 25 total named storms, with eight to 13 becoming hurricanes. NOAA will come out with a revised hurricane forecast next week.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Cheryl McCloud and Kimberly Miller, USA TODAY Network

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane forecasters tracking what could become Tropical Storm Debby