By St. Paul’s News Team
August 23 2026 | Regional
Weather officials are keeping a close eye on a tropical wave expected to emerge from the west coast of Africa, with the system carrying a 50 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next seven days.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC), in its 2 p.m. Tropical Weather Outlook on Sunday, said an area of low pressure could develop in association with the wave as it moves into the Atlantic early this week.
While the system currently has virtually no chance of developing over the next 48 hours, forecasters expect conditions to become more favourable later in the week.
The NHC says a tropical depression could form by the middle to latter part of the week, as the disturbance moves generally westward at between 15 and 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.
The projected path will place the system on the radar of Caribbean weather watchers, although it is far too early to determine whether it could pose a threat to the region.
Two other systems under watch
The Atlantic is also being monitored for two other areas of disturbed weather.
An area of low pressure located approximately 400 miles southeast of Bermuda has become better organised and has a 40 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm during the next couple of days.
That system is expected to move northward to north-northeastward, remaining well northeast of Bermuda.
Meanwhile, a third system several hundred miles west of Portugal is no longer expected to develop subtropical characteristics. Forecasters anticipate it will move over Portugal and Spain early Monday.
Caribbean residents urged to stay alert
Although the newest tropical wave is still in its early stages, the increase in its development chances is a reminder that the Atlantic hurricane season remains active.
With the system expected to track westward across the tropical Atlantic, forecasters will be watching closely for signs of further organisation in the coming days.
Residents across the Caribbean are being encouraged to monitor official weather updates rather than focus on early forecasts of a system that has yet to form.
The key question now is whether the tropical wave can survive the journey across the Atlantic and develop into a more organised tropical system later this week.
