2024 hurricane season opens with 5 tropical waves under NHC watch
ORLANDO, Fla. - EDITOR'S NOTE: There is a newer version of this story here.
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The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially started on Saturday, and the National Hurricane Center is already tracking five tropical waves.
None of these waves, however, are expected to develop, according to forecasters.
According to the NHC's Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion, the westernmost tropical wave is located south of Cuba, while the easternmost is just off the western coast of Africa. Here's a look at where they're all located:
A far eastern Atlantic tropical wave is located southeast of the Cape Verde islands off the western coast of Africa. It's moving west at 17-23 mph.
A central Atlantic tropical wave is located at about the halfway point between South America and Africa. It's moving west at about 17 mph.
Another Atlantic tropical wave is located northeast of French Guiana in South America. It's moving west at about 17 mph.
An eastern Caribbean tropical wave is located north of the British Virgin Islands. It's moving west at 11 to 17 mph.
A western Caribbean tropical wave is located just south of Cuba. It's "quasi-stationary" because of interaction with an upper-level trough.
The upper-level trough over the western Caribbean is expected to bring strong thunderstorms capable of producing dangerous lightning, heavy rain and gusty winds through Friday in Hispaniola, Jamaica and eastern Cuba, forecasters said. These conditions could bring flooding and mudslides in the area.
Additionally, the tropical wave located south of Cuba is forecast to bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to the Windward Passage – the strait between Cuba and Hispaniola – and the coast of Nicaragua over the next couple of days.
Despite the presence of these tropical waves, the National Hurricane Center said tropical cyclone activity – or what we know as tropical storms and hurricanes – is not expected over the next week.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially started on Saturday, June 1. Forecasters are anticipating an above-average season, with up to 25 named storms. The first named system of the season usually forms around June 20, and the first hurricane by Aug. 11.
