This past weekend saw a rare quiet period in the Atlantic Basin with no named storms, marking the first time in 27 years that no named tropical storms developed from August 21 to September 2. This lull in activity is attributed to slightly higher than average wind shear across the Atlantic, limiting tropical development. However, as we enter the midway point of the 2024 hurricane season, AccuWeather warns that tropical activity may start to ramp up again.
Despite the current calm, there are still areas of concern in the Atlantic. A broad area of low pressure in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico is producing showers and thunderstorms off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, with the potential for heavy rains and flash flooding in these areas. Additionally, a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles could become a tropical depression later in the week as it moves westward, potentially bringing gusty winds and heavy rainfall to the region.
In the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean, a tropical wave over western Africa is expected to move offshore on Monday, potentially developing slowly as it moves westward or west-northwestward. The impact of this system on the U.S. is still uncertain. Overall, while the recent quiet weekend was a break from the typically busy Labor Day weather, conditions in the Atlantic are becoming more favorable for tropical storm development, and the next named storm could be on the horizon.
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