By
- Leigh Morgan
The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is right around the corner, and forecasters were tracking three tropical disturbances on Monday
There have been only two tropical storms since the Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1. Arthur and Bertha were weak tropical storms that both formed in the Gulf
The three systems being tracked by the National Hurricane Center on Monday were farther out in the Atlantic
Two of the systems have low chances of making it to tropical depression status
But the third could become the next named storm late this week
The first disturbance with a low development probability was located a few hundred miles northeast of Bermuda as of Monday night
The hurricane center said “some” development of that system will be possible as it tracks eastward (north of Bermuda) and further out to sea, but it has only a 10 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression
The second system with a low chance of development was far to the south in the central tropical Atlantic on Monday, about 900 miles east of the Windward Islands
The hurricane center said some gradual development would be possible this week as it tracks to the west, but then it could run into less favorable conditions as it gets closer to the Caribbean
That system also has only a 10 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression this week
The third and final disturbance will be the one to watch, and it is also the farthest away from the United States
As of Monday that system was in the eastern Atlantic and several hundred miles south of the Cabo Verde Islands off Africa’s west coast
The hurricane center is forecasting the disturbance to track westward, and it could merge with another tropical wave that will move off the coast of Africa soon
That system will encounter more favorable conditions for development and could organize into a tropical depression later this week. It should still be safely at sea by that point but could head in the general direction of the Caribbean
This disturbance as of Monday had a 70 percent probability of becoming a tropical depression in the next seven days (an increase from 60 percent earlier today)
It’s too soon to say whether that system could be a concern for the United States, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands
A tropical depression has sustained winds up to 38 mph. Tropical-storm winds range from 39 mph to 73 mph. Hurricane-force winds range from 74 mph and upward
The next name on the 2026 Atlantic storm list is Cristobal (pronounced krees-TOH-bahl)
NOAA updated its 2026 Atlantic hurricane forecast last week and is expecting this season to end with fewer named storms than average
A typical season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger storms)
