Chances for development increase to 70 percent for tropical system

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Staff reports

Graphic by http://weathermodels.com

A broad low pressure system is producing a large area of cloudiness and shower activity several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.

Environmental conditions are not expected to be conducive for significant development of this disturbance during the next couple of days while it moves westward at about 15 mph across the central tropical Atlantic Ocean.

However, conditions are forecast to become more conducive for development over the weekend, and a tropical depression is likely to form by early next week several hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles.

“Area of disturbed weather may be a tropical depression next week north of Puerto Rico in 7 days,” stated Meteorologist Ryan Maue with weathermodels.com. 

Meteorologist Dylan Federico with WTVM in Columbus, Georgia, said those with interest in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico need to closely monitor the progress of the system. However, he noted that wind shear and dry air should limit strengthening and that an East Coast trough is expected to eventually turn the system back out to sea.

  • Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent.
  • Formation chance through 5 days…high…70 percent.