COLUMBIA, S.C. — As of Wednesday morning, there are no named storms in the Atlantic Basin, but there are three disturbances that are expected to organize soon. It's not uncommon to have three areas to watch in the Atlantic this time of the year, but with two disturbances already close to land, we're paying especially close attention for early next week.
A disturbance in the Caribbean, designated Invest 97-L is moving quickly west at 17 miles per hour as of 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning. There is still no central area of low pressure, but conditions are expected to become more favorable at the end of this week. Models are far from a consensus on the future track of this disturbance, with some bringing the system into the western Gulf and others bringing the system into the eastern Gulf by Monday of next week.
In the central Atlantic, Invest 98-L is also moving at 17 mph as of 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. This disturbance is better organized, with evidence some low level circulation already showing up on satellite imagery. Thunderstorms still remain displaced, but the National Hurricane Center expects the disturbance to organize into a depression over the next 48 hours.
Models take Invest 98-L into the northern Caribbean. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands could see impacts from the future tropical system as early as Saturday with the storm making an approach towards Cuba or perhaps the Turks and Caicos by Monday.
A third cluster of thunderstorms is emerging off the coast of Africa, but has just a low chance of development in the next 5 days.
It's too soon to say whether these disturbances will have any impact to the mainland United States, but they should be watched carefully. The timing on any impacts for the lower 48 could be as early as Tuesday.