3 new Atlantic storm systems may become tropical depressions. Could one affect NC?

Meteorologists are watching three disturbances in the Atlantic that could turn into tropical depressions over the next week or so.

Here’s what to know about them.

How soon could a tropical depression form?

National Hurricane Center maps on Friday, August 30, showed two tropical waves:

▪ One in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

This system popped up Friday afternoon as a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms just off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

The National Hurricane Center said the system is likely to wander near the coast through much of next week, possibly generating heavy rains and flash flooding in Louisiana and Texas. It has a 20% chance of developing into a depression over the next seven days.

▪ One in the central tropical Atlantic near the Lesser Antilles and Caribbean Sea.

On Friday, meteorologists said this system was producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, but could slowly become more organized over the next few days.

Forecasters said this system has a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next seven days as it moves westward. It will reach the Lesser Antilles on Monday and keep moving across the Caribbean through next week, according to forecasts.

▪ One in the eastern tropical Atlantic between the west coast of Africa and the Cabo Verde Islands.

That one also could see slow development through late next week as it moves to the west-northwest over the eastern and central tropical Atlantic, forecasters said.

On Friday, the National Hurricane Center gave that system a 20% chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next seven days. However, it could continue to develop into the following week.

Could one of these affect North Carolina?

It’s too early to tell. It will likely be at least the end of next week before forecasters can say whether any of these will develop into a threat for North Carolina or elsewhere on the Atlantic coast.

Is it still going to be a busy hurricane season?

Forecasters have said the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season would be exceptionally busy , with as many as 25 named storms, eight to 13 of which will become hurricanes , up to seven of them “major,” meaning at least Category 3, with winds of 111 mph or higher.

So far, there have been five named storms in the Atlantic this season.

September typically is a busy month for Atlantic storms , because that’s when the ocean usually reaches its highest temperature. Warm water is a major contributing factor in the development of tropical storms.

La Niña changes may impact storm formations

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this month that the La Niña that was expected to develop in August is now likely to form between September and November . Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Meteorologists say that a La Niña often coincides with a more severe Atlantic hurricane season because it suppresses the wind shear that would otherwise keep hurricanes from forming.

The next named storm in the Atlantic would be called Francine.

NC residents can use this real-time tool to search where stream flooding is likely