Due to the African wave, a new area for tropical development is in focus in the Atlantic

As concerns grow in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean over the next week for a possible tropical storm or hurricane, a new area in the eastern Atlantic where tropical storms may develop is under observation by the National Hurricane Center.

Meanwhile, two other areas classified as tropical – the remnants of the storm named Tropical Storm Gordon a few days ago and a nearby disturbance designated Invest 96L – appear to be on their last legs.

According to the NHC, the newly observed area is expected to be hit 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 the storm moves west-northwest across the eastern Atlantic. Currently, the agency is predicting only a slight chance of tropical development over the next seven days, but development may continue to spread beyond seven days.

Possible continuation of former Tropical Storm Gordon is subsiding

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What was Tropical Storm Gordon earlier this week fizzled out to a disorganized band of showers and thunderstorms. But then the system showed some possible signs of revival, and the NHC estimated the probability that the storm would re-strengthen into Tropical Storm Gordon at 60%.

However, the associated rain and thunderstorm activity has never been better organized, and now former Gordon's attempt to regain prominence appears to be failing, with the NHC downgrading the probability of (re)development on Saturday to just 10%.

Regardless of its name, the system will remain well out to sea and will be the only storm this hurricane season not to make landfall, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Invest 96L also becomes a tropical footnote

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Another tropical disturbance lurking just west of Gordon's remnants, about 700 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, attracted enough attention from the NHC that it was given the designation Invest 96L, meaning the agency could begin running special computer models of the nascent storm to monitor future development.

WHAT IS AN “INVESTMENT”?

Those models are now unfazed. The NHC says environmental conditions no longer appear conducive to significant development of this system in the next few days, and has lowered the chance of a tropical depression forming to just 10%. The disturbance was not a threat to land anyway.

Tropical storm danger in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico increases

The best chances for tropical development next week remain in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, with atmospheric conditions becoming increasingly favorable for the formation of a named storm sometime next week.

The growing concern is related to the Central American vortexa weather phenomenon known to contribute to tropical storm Development in the region during the early Spring And AutumnAlthough the probability of a development is currently moderate, the situation must be closely monitored, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Emerging tropical threat in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico: These four scenarios can be distinguished

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