The National Hurricane Center has designated a tropical wave in the tropical Atlantic as Invest 98L as it moves west toward the Caribbean Islands.
MIAMI – The National Hurricane Center designated a tropical wave in the Atlantic as Invest 98L on Saturday as it slowly crept toward the Caribbean.
The term “invest” is used by the NHC to identify weather disturbances they are investigating for possible development into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days, can run special hurricane computer forecast models.
BRYAN NORCROSS: ATLANTIC TROPICAL DISTURBANCE TO BRING GUSTY DOWNPOURS TO THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS SUNDAY
(FOX Weather)
Invest 98L is located roughly 800 miles east of the Windward Islands and is moving west at 20 mph.
The NHC said it’s likely that 98L will likely gradually develop, though for now the agency says odds are still “low” of reaching at least tropical depression status within the next week.
Regardless of development, the system is expected to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to the Windward Islands on Sunday.
“The bottom line is that the odds of the system affecting the mainland U.S. are very low,” said FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. “The only imaginable scenarios are beyond our ability to forecast. Residents in Puerto Rico and the surrounding islands should plan to pay attention next week. And, of course, there’s a potential impact in Central America as well.”
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Area to watch in North Atlantic
Additionally, the NHC is watching an area to watch for development in the North Atlantic. This area is a non-tropical area of low pressure several hundred miles off the Northeast coast that the Hurricane Center said may take on some tropical characteristics in the coming days.
This system is expected to head out to sea and has a low chance of development.
“It’s not a direct threat to land, but it is generating strong swells, which will produce dangerous currents along East Coast beaches from Canada to Florida,” Norcross said.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TROPICAL DEPRESSION, TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE?
(FOX Weather)
If either area to watch progresses into a tropical storm or hurricane, it’ll be named Melissa, the 13th named storm of the Atlantic season.
The official end of the Atlantic Hurricane season is Nov. 30.
