The National Hurricane Center is monitoring newly-designated Invest 97L in the Atlantic, and forecasters say it could strengthen into our next tropical depression. FOX Weather Meteorologist Nick Kosir has the latest on Oct. 12, 2025.
MIAMI – The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring newly designated Invest 97L in the Atlantic, which forecasters say could soon strengthen into our next tropical depression.
This development comes as a La Niña weather pattern emerges for a second consecutive year, which could have a noticeable impact on seasonal weather patterns.
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The term “invest” is a naming convection used by the NHC to identify areas it is investigating for possible development into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days.
The NHC said Invest 97L is located well to the southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands off the western coast of Africa, and it’s producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.
Forecasters say environmental conditions appear to be conducive for some development over the next few days, and a tropical depression could form during the early to middle part of this week.
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The system is expected to move across the Atlantic to the west-northwest and is not currently a threat to land.
The NHC is giving Invest 97L a medium chance of development over the next week.
So far, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has produced 11 named storms.
Four of those storms became hurricanes, three of which reached major hurricane status of a Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
