As concerns grow in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean about the potential for a tropical storm or hurricane next week, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a new area in the eastern Atlantic Ocean where tropical developments could occur.

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Meanwhile, two other tropical storm-eligible areas – the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon from a few days ago and a nearby disturbance labeled Invest 96L – appear to be on their last gasps.

According to the NHC, the new area under surveillance is expected to be affected by a tropical wave coming off the west coast of Africa later this weekend or on Monday.

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Conditions are favorable for gradual tropical development next week as it moves west-northwestward across the eastern Atlantic. At this time, the agency is giving only a low chance of tropical development over the next seven days, but further development could occur after seven days.

Possible sequel to former Tropical Storm Gordon fades

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What was Tropical Storm Gordon earlier this week morphed into a disorganized band of showers and thunderstorms. But then the system showed some potential signs of a comeback, with the NHC giving it a whopping 60 percent chance of regenerating to Tropical Storm Gordon.

However, the associated showers and thunderstorms have never been better organised and now it looks like the former Gordon’s attempt to return to prominence will fail. The NHC has reduced the chances of (re)development to just 10% on Saturday.

Regardless of designation, the system will remain far out to sea and will be the only storm not to make landfall this hurricane season, the FOX Forecast Center said.

Invest 96L is also set to become a tropical footnote

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Another tropical disturbance just west of Gordon’s remnants, about 700 miles (1,120 kilometers) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, attracted enough attention from the NHC to be given Invest 96L status. This means the agency could begin running special computer models on the developing storm to monitor its future development.

WHAT IS AN ‘INVEST’?

Those models are not impressed now. The NHC says that environmental conditions no longer look conducive to significant development of this system over the next few days, and has lowered the chance of a tropical depression to just 10%. The disturbance did not pose a threat to land either way.

Chances of tropical disturbance in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico increase

The best chance for tropical development in the coming week remains the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Atmospheric conditions continue to improve for the formation of a named storm sometime next week.

The growing concern is related to the Central American gyrea weather pattern known to contribute to tropical storm development in the region during the early spring And autumnWhile the current chance of development is average, the situation warrants close monitoring, the FOX Forecast Center said.

BEGINNING OF A TROPICAL THREAT IN THE CARIBBEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, COMES IN THESE 4 SCENARIOS

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