Right on cue for August’s ramp up of the hurricane season, a tropical storm could be heading the the Yucatán Peninsula next week.
One computer model shows a tropical storm forming in the Caribbean and tearing clear across the Peninsula, according to the Weather Channel.
There have been five Atlantic tropical storms since hurricane season began June 1, but all of them were short-lived. But now it’s August and weather forecasters point out that 80 percent of all hurricanes happen between now and October.
That is why every tropical weather system that starts to develop this time of year grabs the attention of meteorologists.
For now, the system is bringing locally heavy rain and gusty winds to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
Some forecast guidance suggests the tropical wave may contribute to the development of low pressure in the northwest Caribbean or the southwest Gulf of Mexico late this weekend into early next week.
For now, the National Hurricane Center in the U.S. has given this system a medium chance of turning into a tropical depression or tropical storm during the next five days as it moves to the west-northwest toward Mexico.
Even without development, Yucatán could see an increase in stormy weather next week.
Since all five named storms so far were weak and didn’t last long, this season’s ACE index is fairly low so far. The ACE index, used by NOAA to assess total seasonal activity, is so far the lowest since 2009, according to Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a tropical scientist at Colorado State University.
Source: The Weather Channel
