Hermine may brew in Atlantic following the birth of Tropical Storm Gaston

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

August 22,2016; 11:11PM,EDT

 

 

Following the birth of Tropical Storm Gaston off the African Coast, another may form over the Atlantic Ocean this week, posing a threat to islands in the northern Caribbean Sea.
Tropical Depression Seven formed off the coast of Africa on Monday afternoon and strengthened to Tropical Storm Gaston on Monday evening.

Conditions are favorable for rapid development of Gaston into the weekend.
Indications are that Gaston would take a northwestward path toward the central Atlantic over the next week, perhaps very similar to that of Fiona. Such a path would not pose an immediate threat to land. However, beyond the next week there is some potential for the system to be drawn close to Bermuda or perhaps part of North America.
Tropical Storm Gaston is shown to the southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The feature to the east of the Leeward Islands will be monitored for potential development.
"A second tropical disturbance, dubbed 99L, was located about 700 miles east of Barbados, in the Windward Islands, and could become Tropical Depression Eight later this week," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
This disturbance is moving on a more westerly path, which could bring showers, thunderstorms and rough seas to the Leeward islands Tuesday and the British and United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Wednesday.
This system, 99L, has a chance at becoming Tropical Depression Eight and perhaps Tropical Storm Hermine later in the week.
Gusty showers and thunderstorms may continue to spread northwestward over the Bahamas and northern Caribbean islands during the balance of the week.
How much rain and wind occur will be dependent on how quickly 99L strengthens. Most likely this disturbance will remain relatively weak into the middle of the week due to disruptive winds and dry air in the vicinity of its path. However, even a weak system is capable of producing heavy rainfall, flash flooding, mudslides and damaging wind gusts.
RELATED:
AccuWeather Hurricane Center
2016 US fall forecast
PHOTOS: August is notorious for destructive hurricanes in US
From midweek on, the disruptive winds may ease, but interaction with the larger islands in the northern Caribbean, such as Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, may continue to hinder development or could cap strengthening.
"If 99L passes too close to Hispaniola with its mountainous terrain, it may never become an organized tropical system," Kottlowski said.
If the path of 99L ends up north or south of the major islands in the Caribbean, then more significant and rapid development could occur prior to the system approaching United States waters.
Following Gaston, the next name on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic for this season is Hermine.
People living in, traveling to or cruising around the Caribbean islands and the southeastern coast of the United States should monitor the progress of 99L this week and into next week.
Meanwhile, leftover moisture from Fiona could bring showers and thunderstorms to Bermuda late this week.