BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Sept. 06 METEOROLOGISTS are keeping a close watch on two developments that are coming off the coast of Africa, as the Atlantic Hurricane Season reaches its peak.
The Atlantic basin has already seen the development of several hurricanes so far for the year, none of which had bearings on the Caribbean.
However, the two areas of interest have the respective conditions for development, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
In its morning report, the NHC said that, “a broad and elongated area of low pressure is centered several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The
associated shower and thunderstorm activity has changed little in organization since yesterday, and there are no indications yet that the system has a well-defined center of circulation.”
They, however, pointed out that environmental conditions are conducive for development, and a tropical depression is expected to form within the next few days while the system moves slowly westward or west-northwestward across the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Emergency officials in St. Kitts and Nevis have been advocating for people in the federation to be prepared in the event that a storm should develop or for persistent rainfall which can cause flooded ghauts and landslides.
“We are now going into the peak and we have already seen a ramp up of activities coming off of the African coast,” Senior Meteorologist, Elmo Burke said recently.
He confirmed that the region gets deeper into the peak of the Hurricane season,the level of activities in terms of Tropical Waves coming off the coast of Africa will likely increase.
That is highlighted as the NHC disclosed that tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa on Friday.
“Some development of this system is anticipated after that time, and a tropical depression could form over the weekend or early next week while the wave moves westward or west-northwestward over the far eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean,” Forecaster Berg
The center is urging interests in the Cabo Verde Islands tomonitor the progress of this system during the next several days.
Should the two disturbance develop, they will be named Helene and Isaac.
