Changing conditions in the Atlantic to fuel tropical activity this week

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

August 16,2016; 11:08PM,EDT

 

Over the next week, the area west of the Africa coast may produce as many as two tropical depressions or storms.
The anticipated uptick in tropical activity follows about 10 days of quiet conditions. Hurricane Earl struck Belize early this month.
A train of disturbances traveling from Africa to Central America has been ongoing for the past several weeks.
Dry air and disruptive winds have been a deterrent in this area during much of the summer, but that may be changing.
The second half of August typically brings a strong uptick in development of systems originating near Cabo Verde. A number of these systems have been some of the strongest hurricanes in the Atlantic, including hurricanes Allen, Andrew, Gloria and Hugo.
The area around Cabo Verde (previously known as as Cape Verde) creates prime breeding ground for tropical systems through much of September.
The Atlantic has begun to show signs of life as Tropical Depression Six formed over an area of light winds and warm water on Tuesday night.

The projected path toward the central Atlantic would not take the system near any islands or large land mass through this weekend.
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There is another disturbance moving westward over Africa and it is well-organized at this time.
"The next disturbance will push off the African continent on Saturday or Sunday and may become a tropical system very soon after it emerges over the Atlantic," AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey said.

The stronger the system is while moving off the coast of Africa, the better the chance of overcoming dry air and disruptive winds in its path.
Early speculation on the path suggest this system could curve north prior to approaching the islands in the Caribbean Sea.
The next names on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic basin for 2016 are Fiona and Gaston.