Storm tracker: Tropical Storm Leslie weakens as next storm to form will be Nadine

As west-central Florida assesses the aftermath of Hurricane Milton – and the Southeast U.S. continues its recovery from Helene – the National Hurricane Center keeps watch for the next potential storm which will be called Nadine.

Forecasters had been watching a developing system off the east coast of Florida, but it had dissipated before becoming Tropical Storm Nadine.

Now being watched: a system in the east tropical Atlantic Ocean. It is a couple of hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, which lie off the west coast of Africa and is moving westward and could develop into a tropical depression. Additional development is not expected until at least the middle of next week, with the system having 40% chance of formation over the next seven days, the NHC said .

Still, the tropics near the U.S. could be quiet for most of next week, AccuWeather forecasters say . But they forecast a medium risk of tropical development Thursday, Oct. 17, to Saturday, Oct. 19, in the western Caribbean, the region where Helene and Milton formed.

A gyre , an area of spinning air currents, expected to form over Central America next week. "From this large, slowly spinning area of low pressure, a more distinct area of showers and thunderstorms may form, and from that, a tropical depression or tropical storm may evolve," AccuWeather lead hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said in the forecast .

A 'Trooper': Florida dog rescued from Hurricane Milton on I-75 awaits adoption

Where is Tropical Storm Leslie?

Designated as a tropical storm on Oct. 2, Leslie strengthened into Hurricane Leslie then weakened again Thursday into a tropical storm. On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said Leslie – about 975 miles west-southwest of the Azores – had degenerated into a trough and posed no threat to the U.S.

The storm is producing maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, with higher gusts, and is expected to gradually weaken during the next couple of days, the NHC said.

Tropical Storm Leslie path tracker

Tropical Storm Leslie spaghetti models

Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.

When does the 2024 hurricane season end?

There remains more than seven weeks in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season , which typically runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. So far this season, there have been 13 named storms. The next storms to form will be named Nadine and Oscar.

After a relatively quiet five weeks or so, the 2024 season – especially with the arrival of Helene and Milton – became an above-average hurricane season, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach .

Having generated 127 on the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index, a metric that includes storm frequency, intensity and duration, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ranks as "officially meeting NOAA's definition of an above-normal season," Klotzbach said on X Wednesday.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund , Max Hauptman, Laura Lordi, Samantha Neely , Doyle Rice and Jennifer Sangalang.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider .

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storm tracker: Tropical Storm Leslie weakens as next storm to form will be Nadine