Two systems in the Atlantic could form into a tropical cyclone

Santo Domingo.- The United States National Hurricane Center and the National Meteorological Office (Onamet) are closely monitoring two regions of heavy rain and thunderstorms associated with tropical waves in the Atlantic Ocean. These areas have the potential to develop into tropical depressions (or tropical cyclones).

The first region, situated in the Central Tropical Atlantic, currently holds a 30% chance of forming into a cyclone within the next 48 hours and a 50% chance within the next seven days. The National Hurricane Center describes it as a collection of disorganized showers and thunderstorms located southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Environmental conditions appear to favor gradual development, possibly leading to the formation of a tropical depression or cyclone as it continues moving westward or west-northwestward across the Tropical Atlantic.

The second region, positioned in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic near the west coast of Africa, holds a 20% likelihood of cyclone formation within 48 hours and 40% within seven days.

The weather system in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic is expected to move west-northwest at approximately 15 mph. It’s anticipated that an area of low pressure will emerge within about a day, near or just west of the Cape Verde Islands. There’s a possibility of further development, with the potential for a tropical depression to form over the upcoming weekend, before environmental conditions become less favorable in the early part of the following week.

A tropical cyclone is a significant area of low pressure originating in the sea, generating powerful winds. According to the World Meteorological Organization, it’s a rapidly rotating storm born in tropical oceans. The life cycle of a tropical cyclone includes three stages: tropical depression, tropical storm, and hurricane, each with varying intensities. A hurricane is categorized from 1 to 5 based on wind speed. A tropical depression occurs when the maximum sustained wind speed is less than 63 kilometers per hour, progressing to a tropical storm when the speed exceeds 63 kilometers per hour. Hurricanes, having maximum sustained wind speeds greater than 118 kilometers per hour, are assigned names.