WeatherFanatics: New Tropical Feature Brewing in the Atlantic

Sunday, September 7, 2014

New Tropical Feature Brewing in the Atlantic

By Jordan Root, Meteorologist

September 7,2014; 9:13PM,EDT

A new tropical feature has emerged in the eastern Atlantic and will be worth watching through this week.
In addition to this area of disturbed weather, a separate cluster of showers and thunderstorms is also being watched in the eastern Atlantic at this time.
This cluster of showers and thunderstorms currently resides west of the Cape Verde Islands and continues to hold together, despite fighting with an area of dry air and strong wind shear.

Water temperatures are certainly warm enough to support development, but other factors such as dry air and wind shear have put a cap on growth.
An area of dry air out ahead of it has slowly eroded over time. However, the outlook remains poor in the coming days. "Although it may organize some, it will be limited by unfavorable wind shear aloft," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck.
An increase in showers and storms is still possible for the northern Lesser Antilles late this week as this disturbance passes by.

Satellite image of a cluster of showers and storms in the eastern Atlantic. Wind shear and dry air will likely keep this disturbance from strengthening. Image: NOAA/GOES
The new feature, recently departing the coast of Africa and moving over open water, has a better chance for development in the near future.
Strong winds will begin to relax across the eastern Atlantic during the week and will allow this wave to travel through a more suitable environment for strengthening.
"It may have a better chance of organizing and strengthening as long as it stays far enough south and away from dry air and wind shear," said Smerbeck.

A new tropical wave has emerged off of the African coast and has the chance for further development.
If a tropical storm does form, it would acquire the name Edouard and would be the 5th named system in the Atlantic Basin.
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Those with interests in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and along the southeastern coast of the United States will want to keep a distant watch on these unsettled areas over the next few days.
An area of low pressure is expected to develop along the southeastern coast of the United States through the middle of the week. It does not appear likely that this disturbance will become tropical, as it is forecast to get swept out to sea by a cold front.
However, beach weather will not be the greatest across the Outer Banks to Cape Cod. Rough surf and rip currents, in addition to clouds and showers will put a damper on any plans.
The last system to form in the Atlantic Basin was Tropical Storm Dolly back on September 1 which made landfall near Tampico, Mexico.

September is the heart of the tropical season in the Atlantic, and most systems tend to form in the eastern Atlantic. If dry air and wind shear can weaken enough, climatology would favor development in this area over the next couple of weeks.
In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Norbert continues to churn near Baja California and will bring a risk for flooding across the southwestern United States.

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