The tropical wave off the African coast is moving west with improved odds of development, according to the National Hurricane Center.
(NOAA).- The wave, which emerged Thursday morning, now has a 60% chance of becoming the next tropical depression or storm in the next five days and a 20% chance of developing in the next two days, the NHC said in its 2 p.m. Friday update.
Thus far, the wave is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Atlantic conditions have become ripe for development, which could occur early next week as the wave continues to move west between 15 and 20 mph.
If the system develops into a tropical storm, it will be the second named storm of the year, receiving the name Bonnie.
Earlier, the first storm of the year developed into Tropical Storm Alex, which formed from the remnants of the first Pacific storm of the year Hurricane Agatha, which passed over Mexico and into the Caribbean. After, the remnants shaped into what specialists called Tropical Cyclone 1. It later pushed large flood waters through South Florida while passing through the state and developed into Alex on June 5 after TC1 moved into the western Atlantic and soon fizzled away.
Before the June 1 start of the hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted above-average hurricane activity this year. A typical year has about 14 named storms. Meteorologists predicted the 2022 season to have between 14 and 21 named storms. The 2021 year had 21 named storms, and the 2020 season had a record-breaking 30 named storms.
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