NHC monitors four tropical disturbances in the Atlantic basin

Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are keeping an eye on four tropical disturbances raging over the Atlantic basin, including newly designated hurricane type Invest 99L off the U.S. East Coast and Invest 90L off the Gulf Coast.

“Invest” is simply a naming convention used by the NHC in Miami, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to identify areas they are monitoring for the possible development of a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days.

The NHC said Invest 99L is located a few hundred miles east of North Carolina and is causing showers and thunderstorms to the northeast and east of the system's center.

Invest 99L may acquire some subtropical characteristics over the next few days as it moves north-northeast.

On Thursday, the NHC said the showers and thunderstorms associated with Invest 99L were better organized and producing gale-force winds.

Invest 99L is expected to remain off the northeast coast and once the system moves over cooler waters by Saturday evening, no further subtropical development is expected.

The NHC gives Invest 99L little chance of development.

Invest 90L near the Texas coast and experience wet weather on the Gulf Coast

A disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas and Louisiana, now designated Invest 90L by the NHC, is being monitored for possible tropical development over the next few days.

This area of ​​unstable weather has been hitting the Gulf Coast with heavy rains in recent days, but the NHC lowered development prospects earlier this week.

However, in its update Thursday morning, the NHC reiterated that it would monitor the system and granted it investment authority status later in the day.

The NHC said upper-level winds are expected to be less conducive to development through Friday and Saturday as a front approaches the area.

“Although further developments are unlikely, heavy rains are expected in parts of the northern Gulf Coast over the next few days,” the NHC said.

The NHC gives the system little chance of development.

Once the storm reaches the Gulf of Mexico, unrest could arise in the Caribbean

A tropical disturbance is moving westward across the western Caribbean at about 20 mph (32 km/h) and continues to produce a widespread area of ​​intermittent showers and thunderstorms.

The NHC says some development of this system is possible over the next few days after the system moves across Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and then into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

The system is given only a low probability of development in the next week.

Tropical disturbances could slowly develop in the Eastern Atlantic

A tropical disturbance over the tropical eastern Atlantic is leading to a widespread area of ​​irregular showers and thunderstorms.

The NHC said slow development is possible over the next few days as the system drifts northwest or north.

The likelihood of the disorder developing over the next week is low.