We're getting close to having our second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
- Storms in Caribbean, Atlantic have high chance of formation
- Next Atlantic storm name would be Bret
- RELATED: Everything you need to stay safe in our Storm Season 2017 special section
There is a high potential for formation for the tropical wave in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Gradual development is expected throughout today and into Tuesday while it moves across the southern and central Gulf of Mexico, where a tropical or subtropical cyclone is likely to form.
The next named storm would become Bret. In April, a rare tropical storm formed in the Atlantic and became Arlene, the first named storm of 2017.
Regardless of development, heavy rain is expected over portions of Central America, the Yucatan peninsula, the Cayman Islands and western Cuba during the next day or two. Hurricane Hunter aircraft are scheduled to investigate this system later today, if necessary.
The other area of low pressure with a high probability of becoming a named storm is in the south central Atlantic. This low is moving toward the Windward Islands and also has a high chance for tropical formation over the next day or two. The National Hurricane Center has begun to issue advisories on this system, located several hundred miles east-southeast of the southern Windward Islands as of noon Monday.
Early models show the projected track of this system, if it holds together, taking it westward, north of Venezuela, and toward Central America. This storm is smaller than the low in the Caribbean and is moving into a hostile environment that potentially could keep the storm from strengthening.
