As Hurricane Gabrielle continues trolling Atlantic waters toward the Azores as a Category 2 storm, eyes are turning towards two systems in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean sea with high chances of development.
One is pelting Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rain and gusty winds today with activity moving across the Dominican Republic beginning tonight.
It's too soon to say if either system will be a threat to the U.S. East Coast. Here's what the NHC had to say on both systems Wednesday morning.
Central and Western Tropical Atlantic:
Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with an elongated area of low pressure located several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands continues to show signs of organization. Environmental conditions are forecast to be favorable for further development, and a tropical depression is likely to form later today or Thursday while the system moves west-northwestward to northwestward into the western tropical Atlantic, well north of the Leeward Islands.
Eastern Caribbean Sea:
A tropical wave over the northeastern Caribbean Sea is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. This wave is expected to move west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph, spreading heavy rainfall and gusty winds into Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands today, and across the Dominican Republic beginning tonight. The system is then expected to slow down and turn northwestward when it reaches the southwestern Atlantic late this week. Environmental conditions are forecast to be more conducive for development in a few days, and a tropical depression is likely to form when the disturbance is in the vicinity of the Bahamas. Interests in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas should monitor the progress of this system. An Air Force Hurricane Hunter Aircraft is scheduled to perform a system survey this afternoon to gather data from the surrounding environment, if necessary.
The next names on the 2025 list are Humberto and Imelda.
The hurricane season ends on November 30.