The National Hurricane Center is tracking a disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean near the Cape Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles.
While the weakening storm Debby brought rain and flooding to the Northeast and New England, meteorologists are already eyeing another possible tropical storm in the Atlantic.
The tropical wave is currently located in the south-central Atlantic between the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is expected to develop into a tropical depression early to mid-next week as the system approaches the Lesser Antilles, NHC forecaster Brad Reinhart wrote.
The system has an 80 percent chance of developing in the next seven days, as it moves west-northwest toward the Greater Antilles, he wrote. If the system develops into a tropical storm, it will be named Ernesto.
The wave is one of many tropical low pressure waves that move from the Indian Ocean across Africa and the Atlantic each year, Accuweather meteorologists point out.
In the next few days, this storm could become the next tropical storm or hurricane to hit the east coast of the United States. “This system is unlikely to develop into a tropical depression until Sunday, but as it approaches the Leeward Islands early next week, things could look very different,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny.
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Where is Debby?
As a post-tropical cyclone, Debby continued to bring heavy rains to the Mid-Atlantic region and northeastern U.S., causing flash flooding in northern Pennsylvania and southern New York state. Heavy rains and isolated to scattered flooding were expected in New England, with conditions improving Saturday, the center said.
Debby had previously dumped at least 30 centimeters of rain in more than a dozen locations in the Southeast, causing widespread flooding from Florida to North Carolina.
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30.
The peak of the season is September 10, with peak activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
Contributors: Cheryl McCloud and Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY Network.
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