The tropics are stirring.
A tropical wave is about to emerge off the west coast of Africa into the tropical Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday.
Keep in mind that’s more than 4,000 miles from the East Coast of the U.S., so there’s a long way to go before we have to worry about anything.
The National Hurricane Center, in a forecast released Thursday morning, said “a tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa later today and early Friday.
“Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for gradual development of this system while it moves generally westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic during the early to middle part of next week.”
Could it become Tropical Storm Bret?
Respected hurricane forecaster Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University tweeted Thursday morning that there is “some model support for tropical cyclone development in tropical Atlantic (S of 20°N and E of 60°W).”
Tropical development is rare this time of year in that part of the Atlantic, forecasters said.
If it becomes a named storm, it would be an unusual event. Klotzbach said that “only 3 June systems have been named in the tropical Atlantic on record: Trinidad (1933), Ana (1979), and Bret (2017).”
Hurricane names:What will the hurricanes of the 2023 Atlantic season be named? Here’s the list.
Coincidentally, if this system gets a name, it would likely be Bret as well.
Another meteorologist, New Orleans-based Scot Pilié, tweeted Thursday that despite the unusual time of year for a storm to develop in that region, record warm water in the tropics and reliable model support “gives more credence to slow development.”
What is a tropical wave?
A tropical wave, also known as an easterly wave, is an elongated area of relatively low pressure that moves from east to west across the tropics. To the west of the system, there is often good weather. To the east, though, cloudiness and heavy rain are often found.
Tropical waves can lead to the formation of a tropical cyclone, according to NOAA. This includes tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.
What else is out there?
Forecasters are also monitoring four tropical waves in the Atlantic basin, which includes the tropical Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. None are currently forecast to develop further, however.
AccuWeather meteorologists said a disturbance could evolve into an organized tropical system the fourth week of June, moving from the western Caribbean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico.
Another area forecasters are keeping an eye on ranges from the Bahamas to just off the Carolina coast.
A cold front is expected to stall over the area and may provide the spark for tropical development before the end of June, although wind shear could tear apart any developing systems, according to AccuWeather.
Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network
California hurricanes?:The West Coast has a powerful protection from hurricanes. Could climate change weaken it?
